"ONE PERSON, ONE NOTE"
Pedro has introduced thousands of young people to African music through his "Pedro the Music Man" series on television and in wide-ranging schools tours in Southern Africa and Europe.
He remains committed to the training of teachers using his own program that enables teachers and their learners to create music within a few minutes. He has seen thousands of teachers in SA and around the world. He was in charge of music for the books Oxford U.P. published for the new Creative Arts curriculum in South Africa a few years ago.
African music is so valuable a subject because it passes on a precious heritage to the South African youth and at the same time is completely relevant to their present day musical sense. African music has influenced just about every popular style from jazz to hip-hop and many local musicians such as Thandiswa Mazwai, Ringo and Busi Mhlongo integrate traditional music into their repertoire.
This show has been created specially for secondary school learners and in the course of a lively, riveting hour that is full of live musical examples, the audience learns about the principles of African music and the paths it has taken in South African and across the world.
The instruments that Pedro makes and plays on stage are from all over the continent and they follow the African principle of making use of whatever materials are at hand (paw paw leaves, tortoise shells, kudu horns, cow bells, hunting bows, gourds and dry kelp).
The title of the show comes from a uniquely African form of music making where each person has only one note to play so the music relies on a very strong spirit of co-operation. Pedro will introduce bell, pipe and horn ensembles with much help from the audience of course.
In fact the show ends with each of the learners in the audience blowing on their own one note pipe to recreate the Tshikona traditional musical event and also to play chords for some of the golden South African repertoire (Shosholoza, Meadowlands, Tiwakamoya...)
"One Person, One Note" inspires the students with the message that the experience of making music belongs to everyone.
The show can accommodate up to 400 students and Pedro leaves a CD of the musical examples used in the show as well as the pipe ensemble for the school's music department to use.
To book phone Pedro on 21 6854704 or e.mail musicman@iafrica.com.
Pedro with learners from Lentegeur High School
Pedro leading the Vuvuzela Orchestra
at the Africa Day Celebrations in JHB
