Gerardo Calderon
 Gerardo Calderón is an accomplished musician and performer who enthusiastically shares his knowledge of Mexican and South American folk music with his students. He studied classical guitar at the Escuela Superior de Musica (Superior School of Music) in Mexico City and plays a variety of Latin American stringed instruments. Geraldo has performed with folk ensembles across North America and plays in Portland with a group called Grupo Condor. Geraldo's wide experience as a performer and instructor make his presentations, workshops, and performances exciting for students of all ages and backgrounds. He discusses the history of Latin American instruments in his collection (turtle shells, zampoñas or pan flutes and water drums among others) and explains how some instruments were changed with the arrival of Europeans in the Americas. Geraldo teaches two different workshops: pan pipe and water drum construction. Area: Statewide Type: Workshop, Residency, Performance Grades: 4-12 Cost: See workshop and residency fee schedule, $350 performance Supplies: $4.25 per student Making Zampoñas (Pan Pipes) Each student will learn to sand, cork, and then strap the five pvc pipes together to create a zampoñas or pan pipe. Geraldo teaches students to play a simple musical piece. Water Drums Students will construct a water drum. They will: prepare a gourd, create designs on it, put water in the gourd, and experiment with different rhythms. Grupo Condor This three-piece group plays a wide variety of traditional Latin American folk music while explaining the history of the music and of individual instruments. CONTENT STANDARD CONNECTIONS: Social Science: History Arts: Aesthetics and Art Criticism, Historical and Cultural Perspectives, Create, Present, Perform English: Writing Math: Calculations, Estimations, Measurement |