On Saturday, February 24, at 3:00PM in Cannon Beach, The Oregon Trail Trio celebrates the Beaver State’s storied history in song.
This free concert is designed for families with grade-school-aged children and learners of all ages.
Besides bringing that dusty, wild history to life, the Trail Trio’s appeal is also rooted very much in the present.
“An intimate, engaging live performance,” says Trio member Mick Doherty, “is where kids experience the wonder of music.”
Indeed, while hearing music performed live in the days of the Oregon trail was a given, today it’s not always the case.
“In the digital age I think it’s very important for kids to hear what wind and muscle driven music sounds like,” says Doherty.
Besides playing, singing and telling stories, the Trail Trio demonstrate the workings of their instruments, including guitar, fiddle, hammer dulcimer and tuba. (Believe it or not, the tuba was a staple of music on the Trail.)
The Trio, an offshoot of the Oregon Trail Band, perform traditional tunes one might have heard on the long journey west as well as new, original songs recounting the settlement of Oregon.
One of the traditional pieces in the Trio’s repertoire was discovered in a piano bench in a historic house in Oregon City by group members Gayle and Phil Neuman.
The Neumans are musicologists and educators who specialize in ancient, medieval and renaissance-era styles and perform with the Oregon Renaissance Band. Gayle primarily plays fiddle. Phil plays the wind and string instruments, a relative of the tuba called the serpent.
Showgoers may recognize Doherty from a number of groups performing regularly on the coast, including the Cascadia Folk Quartet and Oregon Shadow Theater, a live shadow puppetry company.
The free performance begins at 3PM on Saturday, February 24, at Tolovana Hall, located at 3779 South Hemlock in Cannon Beach. The event is produced by the Tolovana Arts Colony. For more information visit tolovanaartscolony.org, email tolovanaartscolony@gmail.com or call 541-215-4445.
