Gourds Go to Middfest International Peru

Gourds Go to Middfest
International Peru
By Larry Shermanand Peter Carels*
The Middfest
International celebration (http:ll
www.middfestintemational.org ) takes place annually
during the first weekend of October in Middletown, Ohio.
Each year this event focuses on a different country and
this year it is Peru, home of wonderfully crafted gourds.
Because of this Ogourd connection,O the Middfest folks
including their director Ms. Virginia Ritan and Elizabeth
Birch, contactedme as a representativeof both the Oxford
hltp:ll
Ensemble (OGADE,
Gourd and Drum
www.ogade.org) and the Ohio Gourd Society (http://
americangourdsociety.org/ohiochapter/). The end result
ofour discussionsled to two projects: l) a four day gourd
crafting workshop with 5 to I I year-olds participating in a
summer camp directed by Ms. Cecelia Thompson,
Recreation Administrator for the City of Middletown,
Ohio, and Sue Rogers of the Art Central Foundation
(http://www.artcentralfoundation.org ); and 2) musical
performances by OGADE during the weekend of the
festival. This year, Middfest takes place during the
weekend of September 30ft and October 1" and 2nd,the
weekend after the Ohio Gourd Show.
The Middletown Summer Camp project was financially
supportedby the Middfest Foundation. The children were
instructed by Larry Shermanand Peter Carels, co-directors
of OGADE. Raw gourds were obtained from two local
gourd growers in Oxford, Ohio (Lynn Stutz and Bob
Rauen). The children chose their own raw gourds and
scrubbed and cleaned them during the first day of the
workshop. A chop stick with their name on it was then
attached to each child's gourd and set aside to dry. The
second day, the children were introduced to traditional
Peruvian desigasas well as Peruvian musical rhythms and
sounds.They createdtheir own personal designs on paper
using multi-colored Sharpie pens. They also practiced
Peruvian musical rhythms using verbal phrases and hand
clapping. During the third day the children applied their
desigrrs to their gourds using the multi-colored Sharpie
pens. Their gourds were then varnished with a fast drying
non-toxic acrylic varnish that affixed the designs more
permanently.
During the fourth day they played musical rhyhms using
their designedgourds and the chop sticks. As we explored
the musical potential of each child's gourd, we discovered
that three basic sounds were possible, scraping, shaking,
and clacking. Elongated or long-necked dipper gourds
could be played as scrapersusing the chop stick to stroke
the side like a guiro. Some gourds contained seeds that
readily made them into shakers like a maraca. The rest
were tapped with the chop stick, either in on€ or in two
places to create a higher or lower pitched OClackingO
sound. Dividing the children into three goups according
to the manner of sound they produced with their gourd, we
developeFthree parts resulting in some very interesting
poly-rhythms.
At the end of the fourth day, the
(Continued on page 15)
(Continuedfom page I 4)
children'sgourd musical instrumentswere collected
for display at the Ohio Gourd Show during the last
weekend of September,as well as at the Middfest
InternationalFestivalduring the following weekend.
As OGADE lS performing at the Middfest
International Festival, the children were invited to
play along with them during some of the
performances.The craftedgourd musical instruments
are to be retumed to the children at the end of the
Middfest IntemationalFestival.
Carels gourd
Author's Notes. Larry Shermanand PeterCarelsare
co-directorsof OGADE, a percussiongroup that has
performed many times at the annual Ohio Gourd
Showsheld in Mt. Gileadand Greenville,Ohio. Peter
is known for his work with wellnessin communities
of senior citizens using drum circle techniques.Lany
has been a Presidentof the OGS and was recently
(201l) electedto the office of 2ndVice Presidentof
the Ohio Gourd Society.Since 1995the two of them
have collaborated in many classroom projects with
young children where gourdswere usedto teachmulti
-cultural global rhythms and musicaldiversity.
Finishedgourds
Gourdtrumpets
Cover Photoby: Glenn & Carolyn Burkhalter
Three or four years ago, Carolyn and I started making these giraffes
after seeing one that had been made from a short handle dipper. It
occurredto us that the long spiral and knottedneck dipper gourdsthat I
grow would be different and look pretty neat if used for the necks of
siraffes----andthat'swhat we did.
We use parts of five to sevendifferent gourdsto createone giraffe.
on whatis usedfor thebase,whichmightbe thedipperbowi /L
depending
-T
"sits"
well, or a basecut from anothergourd. The headis
if
ii
its;lf
made frorn a mini-bottle, the horns from Tennesseespinnersand the
ears from other piecesof gourds. I use a lot of Gluesmith glue in the
process.
This photo is of the original giraffe family that we created.
Back Cover: This mask was influencedby the American Indians and
representsa hawk mask. The artist,Debbie Wilson, from Mt. Vemon, Il
has studied American lndian art for over 35 years. This apple gourd
was cut in half and holes were drilled for the eye and nostril openings'
CONTENT
?rasidenfsM?osage
5
6
Devil claw plantswere addedfor the clawsand twine unraveledwas
addedaroundthe entiremaskfor texture.The gourdwaspaintedwith 4 n
andsealed.
acrylicpaints
Lu
AGS Annual Meeting
At the Ohio Gourd Show
W 14
DATE: September24th, 20ll
TIME: 5:00pm
PLACE: Youth Building (gourd classbuilding)
Judging Handbook Available
Kid'sKorner
GourACrafring
Conloal
ln M1 gacKlard
gfie'uoil
Article-
20
O A
b\,/
The official AGS judging rules were printed recently in
our magazine,and are available for download from our
website.
However, if you would like to purchasea formal, bound
and printed copy, it is available on @l!L
"American Gourd Society."A11profits (we
Just searchfor
make $l .64 per copy) go to the AGS.
Also, it will be availablefrom our AGS book sales(Dallas/
Linda Lundsford).
XX/X)VXXXX
Your Name
Address
City, State Zip
on tha MoveChaplorFevievrs
Articls
Article
Sjrudgo
A C.
*TU
FIND YOUR AGS EXPIRATION DATE:
It is part of your Mailing Label on this issue.
ruioriat
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upcoming
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ru
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6
VOLUME
41 NO.2
r^tt zott
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EPSILON CHAPTER - South Carolina Gourd
Society, Dickie Martin, President, 864-682-5251,
rmartin@backroads.net
ChapterInformation
ALPHA CHAPTER - North Carolina Gourd
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S h e l l yN o u i c k
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ALPHA ll Chapter - New York State Gourd
Societ-v
GraharnOttosor.r.
Interim President
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CHI CHAPTER- PennsylvaniaGourd Sociefy
Terry Noxel, President, 607-655 -5366
n o x e l t s (aao i . c o n r
DELTA CHAPTER - Virginia Lovers'Gourd
Society,
A n g e l aM o h r P O B o x 3
S t e p h e nC
s ity VA 22655
( 5 4 0 )8 6 9 - 8 5 2 9 g o u r d g a l ( l c o m c a s t . n e r
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PSI CHAPTER - Mississippi Gourd Society,
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mississippigourdsocietvfigmail.com
ETA CHAPTER - Indiana Gourd Society,
Karen K. Niemeyer, President, l2l7 Wesley Court,
Thomtown, IN 46-71-8955
(7 65) 436 7518 niemeyer@frontiemet.net
RHO CHAPTER - Idaho Gourd Society
Liz Meyer, President,63 N. WedgervoodDr.
Nampa, Idaho , 8365I, 208-46I -202I
ei adventuresfr!rnsn.com
GAMMA CHAPTER - Arizona Gourd Societv.
Judy Weinfurther, President,
iudv weinfurther@o.com
SIGMA CHAPTER - Iowa Gourd Society.
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i dhoward@myclearrvave.net
CHAPTER - Kentucky Gourd Society,
Historian:TerriSchmiteadqbe@mhtc.netIOTA
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P. O. Box 905 Taylorsville KY 40071
Toll free | -877-7 65 -8594
Membership:
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P.O.Box 2'186,Kokomo,lN 46904-2180
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817-909-2814
LAMBDA CHAPTER - Florida Gourd Societv
Laraine Short, President
agourdpainter@aol.com
MU Chapter - Washington State Gourd Society
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NU CHAPTER - California Gourd Societv.
Sylvia Nelson, President
casourdpres@lrontier.com
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P.O. Box 1250,CaptainCook, HI 96704
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350s7. (256)747-1447.
southerngourd gaIfri,aoI.co m
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Jim Ege, President,
iamesege(4mac.com
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I i sarobersonI fiatnetzero.
com
XI CHAPTER - Show-Me Gourd Society,
Bert Petrie,President, 187 Kona Cove, Roach.Mo.
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To submit informationfor the rvebsiteplease
contact:Lyn Rehm, Web
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