Crocro y su Tumbaká’ is a multicultural musical group founded by Jorge 'CroCro' Orta in 2010, which just released its first CD in 2014.  Crocro y su Tumbaká was formed with the ambition to do something different in the city of Houston in the Salsa genre to interpret different tropical style music of recognized groups and singers however, in its first CD Tumbaká interprets songs with echoes of latin-jazz, percussion solos, batá, son, güarachas and opera/salsa, which has resulted in a wealth of sounds and musical colors.

This interactive musical performance introduces participants the history of the Mardi Gras Indian tribes of New Orleans. Musician Joseph Dixon engages participants are in sing-alongs and chants of traditional call and response patterns and phrases that are still significant in contemporary music. They learn of the duties of the Big Chief, Flag Boy, and Spy Boy and the roles they play during their walk on Mardi Gras day and Saint Joseph’s Night while also experiencing opportunities to accompany the artist with music-making while singing traditional songs, such as “Indian Red” and “Iko Iko”.

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Texas Commission on the Arts Grant Subsidies Available 

This uniquely inclusive performance is designed for audiences with both, children of special needs and children without. Using storytelling and music making, the show works to promote acceptance, respect and teamwork among all children. Participants learn of the three main parts of a story (character, setting, and plot) while exploring the history and similarities and differences of various percussion instruments, such as the Djembe drums. The show engages the students in a lesson that covers two elements of music, (timbre and dynamics) and ends with audience members invited to join in the live music-making community drum circle using instruments from various cultures and all appear very different.  The challenge will be to use the unique strengths of each instrument to play a role in making drum circle music that sounds delightful to all.

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Texas Commission on the Arts Grant Subsidies Available 

Marlon Simmons presents an educational performance by his Latin jazz trio. Through this program, participants will learn about the origins and development of the Tumbadora, better known in the United States as the conga drum. Sounds of the congas drum and hand techniques and how a combination of the sounds in different sequences create rhythms that will energize and spark student curiosity.

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Texas Commission on the Arts Grant Subsidies Available 

Using humor and music, five musicians explain how teamwork, communication, and cooperation are needed to produce music. With the help of the trombone, French horn, tuba, and trumpet, participants see the great results derived from teamwork and cooperation. The concepts of melody, bass line, rounds, fugue, as well as other musical ideas are introduced in interesting ways. Throughout the program, participants are encouraged to participate, listen carefully, and recognize various instruments and their individual musical qualities.

View the sweeping pageantry of Texas history through music. From early Spanish exploration and the first settlement by American frontiersmen to the Battle for Independence and the Civil War, music has given voice to the land of Texas. Listen and learn as Paragon Brass traces this epic saga with musical selections relating Texas’ journey from colonization to independent nation to the Lone Star State.

A performance that welcomes the audience through Senegalese folk music and drumming to the beautiful culture of West Africa. In this performance, Seyba Diouf sings in Wolof which is the national dialect of Senegal, as well as French and English. He also plays several instruments such as the West African bongo, the talking drum, djembe, and the guitar.

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This performance can be adjusted to include two extra band members.

In the land of Iraq, which was once known as Uruk, a clay tablet was discovered – the world’s oldest known book! The tablet was broken (it was 4,000 years old!), but the story is timeless – it still can be told. So begins guitarist and composer Susan McDonald’s retelling of the epic of Gilgamesh. The oldest known work of literature, “Gilgamesh”, deals with such universal themes as friendship, loss, and grief. The story is important not only for its place in history but also for its relevant life lessons. Susan McDonald elicits a visceral response to the literary work through her musical engagement with the story.

Guitarist/composer/poet Susan McDonald combines science and music to showcase creatures of the marine aquarium. Through video and music, Susan uses humor to bring to life terms such as symbiosis, proboscis, camouflage, and aposematic. Join Susan on this delightful, aquatic adventure.

Inspired by her travel through the Ecuadorian rainforest, the worlds most bio-diverse region, guitarist/composer Susan McDonald brings you her latest program Yasuni: Dances from the Rainforest. Part of her Animal Ballet series, audiences will be treated to a multi-sensory combination of live video and folk rhythms with themes taken from the sounds, and sights, of birds, insects and amphibians. The music ranges from ethereal to boisterous and takes the listener into a rare and fragile world whose mysteries are hidden from modern civilization.

Through music, poetry and video of real birds, guitarist and composer Susan McDonald tells the story of a proud but depressed peacock who goes on a journey to see the world. When the feathers on his tail drop off, he must learn lessons of joy and resilience from the other birds. 

In 2013, Guitarist/composer Susan McDonald first traveled to Iraq to perform and teach under the auspices of an organization whose motto was “Art in Difficult Places.”  When the extremist group ISIS took over shortly thereafter, playing music became illegal. Keeping close contact with the people she met, Susan was inspired by their stories of courage, creativity and dedication to beauty under the most dangerous and difficult of circumstances. She returned in 2017, having formed a nonprofit organization, “Remember the River,” whose mission is to support artists in conflict regions.

Bring the joy and excitement of live music performance to your little ones.  Your kids will dance, sing, clap, and march to one of Houston's most popular children's performers.  This program is perfect for school celebrations, special events, and anytime fun and interactive music is needed.  Sure, the kids will learn a bit about musical instruments but this program has its sights set on fun and celebration!

Sing and dance with Mr. Tom of Tom's Fun Band while exploring the wonderful world of musical instruments.  Your little ones will love the engaging songs in this program and the unveiling of new and exciting instruments. Participants will compare instruments, classify instruments and discover new sounds from a variety of string, brass, percussion, and woodwind instruments.

Mr. Tom of Tom’s Fun Band uses music and comedy to make learning about preserving our natural resources fun and thought provoking. Participants will learn how to reduce the amount we waste by making small changes everyday. Reusing things is made fun when participants are challenged to use their imagination to repurpose found objects. Finally, recycling will be explained and practiced in a musically interactive way. Your participants will chant, clap and sing along with this popular duo as they learn more about their role in conservation.​

Who said learning about vibrations, sound waves, air molecules, and frequency isn’t fun? This new and highly interactive performance uses music demonstration to teach the science of sound. Demonstrations of unique sounds will be introduced to participants through a performance by the guitar! Participants will be encouraged to sing, move, listen, and identify sound characteristics as we explore how sound is produced, how sound moves, and how sound is perceived.

Demonstrations of unique sounds will be introduced to participants through voice, guitar, trumpet, drums, concertina, and more!