Sounds of marimbas, timpanis, xylophones, drums and other instruments filled the room at the Muncie Children's Museum on Saturday as the Ball State Marimba and Percussion Ensemble played for an audience of children and their families.
The ensemble participated in the museum's Music on the Move program, an all-day event for children to learn about and play different instruments.
The museum received two grants from the Indiana Arts Commission and the Ball Brothers Foundation at the beginning of the program to help pay for the expenses of the preparation and the cost of the musicians.
The percussion ensemble was one of the many events lined up for the day. After playing a short concert, Ball State students invited the children in the audience to come up and play with them as part of the "instrument petting zoo."
"My favorite part was performing for the kids," senior Chris Murphy said. "I could see them bouncing around in their chairs with the most excited looks on their faces."
The children also made their own tambourines as a hands-on activity, said Barbara Schafer, grants administrator for the museum.
"It's fun seeing not only the kids wanting to see the instruments, but the parents as well," Schafer said. "It's something they can enjoy as a family, and that is really what we were hoping for."
The Music on the Move program began two years ago when the Muncie Symphony Orchestra contacted the museum asking to play for the children. The orchestra traveled to different elementary schools and encouraged students to learn to play an instrument.
The Ball State ensemble plans to visit five elementary schools around the Muncie area this semester. The group contacted the museum with the thought that it would increase connections to their younger audiences, Erwin Mueller, professor of music and director of the ensemble, said.
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