Gretchen Kieling of West Windsor, one of the managers of Macalester College’s African Music Ensemble , will be performing with the group at John Witherspoon Middle School in Princeton on Thursday, March 15, at 7:30 p.m. Tickets are $10. During most concerts Gretchen plays the African flute, the xylophone, drums, and she sings. All of the performers wear colorful African shirts.##M:[more]##
Kieling, an art and music major at Macalaster, joined the ensemble in her freshman year. Each year the group travels and she has traveled with them to Milwaukee and St. Louis the first two years.
She graduated from High School North, Class of 2004. During her high school years she played flute in band and orchestra, was a member of the choir in her senior year, and was co-captain of the varsity soccer team. She also played flute for several years with the Youth Orchestra of Central New Jersey.
Her parents are Nancy Kieling, president and executive director of the Princeton Area Community Foundation, and Jared Kieling, a book publisher with Bloomberg Press.
The 40-piece group performs uses many authentic African instruments including a variety of drums, xylophones (gyil), flutes (atenteben), bells and rattles, mbiras, and gourds. The group performs music reflecting many social occasions or situations in Africa, including songs used during ceremonies to mark coming of age, funerals, music associated with royalty, music that makes social commentary, children’s music, social dances, and entertainment.
Sowah Mensah directs the evening of traditional African music and dance. He is an ethnomusicolist, composer, and master drummer from Ghana in West Africa. Ghana national dance ensemble member Peace Fafa Elewonu is a guest dancer.
“It is fun to listen to and watch their performances,” says Nancy Kieling. “Audiences learn about African musician as Mensah introduces each piece.”
African Music Ensemble, Macalester College, John Witherspoon Middle School, Princeton. An evening of traditional African music and dance. $10. Thursday, March 15, 7:30 p.m.
