A performance followed by a workshop: the perfect combination for musically inclined students. 

Surcari, which plays a blend of South American and Caribbean music, performed in the Hubbard Performance Hall on Monday, October 20. The group, whose name is a combination of Suramérica and Caribbean, then conducted a workshop. 

“The performance itself was super educational as well as interactive as they welcomed people to play some special instruments from cultures across the world,” junior Ethan Feng said. “They started off with a performance showcasing instruments that were able to mimic the sounds that could be heard in the Amazon rainforest. It was intriguing to see how they were able to replicate the sounds of the forest with simple percussion instruments.” 

Lorena Garay, a guitarist of many styles, is the trio’s leader. She has a master’s degree in music from the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, where she graduated summa cum laude and received the Guitar Department award, according to Surcari’s website. The other members are Eugenio Huanca, a native of Chile who builds his own instruments and has played in such prestigious venues as Carnegie Hall, Lincoln Center, and Boston Symphony Hall; and Edilio Bermudez, a native of Venezuela and an accomplished violinist, bassist, composer, arranger, and music teacher. 

“The experience was wonderful,” senior Annabelle Chan said, citing the educational and interactive aspects. Annabelle received the William C. Card Junior Music Award last year. She plays the cello in the Orchestra and the Chamber Music Ensemble. 

Ethan, who plays the flute in the Chamber Music Ensemble and the Concert Band, said the workshop was “an opportunity to learn more about how the instruments were played as well as ways to express musicality with these simple percussion instruments.” 

One such instrument was the güiro, a percussion instrument often made from a gourd or wood. 

“It seems like a basic instrument that you simply swipe or strike to produce sounds, but Surcari taught us that the way or place you struck/swiped would impact the sound it made,” Ethan said. “I was extremely impressed with the various sounds that could be made using instruments that appeared to be so simple, such as the güiro, maracas, congas, claves, etc.” 

The concert was sponsored in part by the Joseph Stookins Lecture Fund.   

“This was one of the most interactive presentations we’ve had,” said Performing Arts Department Head Sue Chrzanowski, who noted that she was pleased to be able to feature Latin American music during Hispanic Heritage month.