Two of Ireland’s top percussionists Alex Petcu and Caitríona Frost return to County Cork schools at the end of January with their ever-popular Bangers and Crash percussion workshop.

The musicians will be visiting schools in Bantry, Schull, Ballineen, Gardiner’s Hill, Fermoy, Innishannon, Glanmire, Mitchelstown and Skibbereen. The workshops are now fully booked.

Students will be introduced to an enormous range of percussion instruments and students will discover the basic foundations of music such as pulse, rhythm and dynamics. They will also learn about the role of percussion in various ensembles such as the orchestra, marching bands and rock/pop bands, and will see how some of the most recognisable sounds in movies and cartoons are created by percussion instruments.

Also featured in this workshop is a short story written by Cork-based author, Cethan Leahy. This was commissioned by Bangers and Crash as a way of demonstrating the range of sound effects that percussionists are often called upon to recreate. It also features original music written by the performers.

For secondary schools, the duo will cover many of the same topics but to a more advanced level. Particular attention will be given to showcasing some of the more unusual percussion instruments as well as the more unfamiliar uses of percussion in various musical styles. For music students, the duo will also show how percussion music can be notated and will demonstrate many of the instruments that are found in Raymond Deane’s “Seachanges”.