Maria Vomlehn Flurry, of Arizona Philharmonic, Sticks and Tones, and manos percussion, to teach composition to Prescott third graders
Maria Flurry is a household name when it comes to Arizona’s music community. She performs as a timpanist with Arizona Philharmonic and Flagstaff Symphony, and is one half of Sticks and Tones with her husband, Henry Flurry (who is co-founder and Artistic Director of AZ Phil).
Now, through AZ Phil and Prescott Unified School District’s Composition Collaboration Project, Maria is preparing to lead a composition program for nine third-grade classes at three elementary schools: Lincoln, Taylor Hicks, and Abia Judd.
Teaching Prescott Third Graders to Compose Music
Starting this January, children in these classes will receive a “New Year’s present”: a recorder to keep as their own, provided through contributions from the Acker Trust Grant. Students will be taught the basics of recorder playing, then the Flurrys will introduce them to elements of music through composing.
“Many children aren’t invited to play or create music, and this introduction opens the door to them, especially those who are ‘wired for’ music at a young age,” said Maria.
Students will be given the task of identifying a feeling and discovering how composers use elements of music as tools to capture that feeling.
“I’ll never forget seeing the eager hands shoot up in Lincoln’s classroom last year, sharing ideas on how to recreate a forest scene they’d experienced. Those kids were really engaged!” said Sandy Farrell, AZ Phil volunteer.
After the students complete their compositions, the Flurrys will combine them into one orchestral piece to be performed at Arizona Philharmonic’s closing concert on April 27, 2025. The students will take a field trip to hear it and play along live with AZ Phil.
More Hands On
This past summer, Maria traveled to Europe, where she studied castanets and cajón (a box-shaped drum) with flamenco artists in Sevilla, Spain. She then picked up some tricks for the bodhran (a lap-held, circular frame drum) while visiting musicians (and pubs) in Ireland. These experiences sparked new creativity that she will bring to her manos percussion performance in January.
Manos is Spanish for Hands
On Sunday, January 12, at 3 p.m., Maria and the manos percussion group will share these new skills and more at the Ruth Street Theater, located at Prescott High School. Joining Maria are steel pan virtuoso Bensen Kwan, drum set wizard Joshua Ferrell, special guest Peter Perry, and the NAU Latin percussion group. In addition to the concert, manos percussion will host a fun, interactive presentation on Saturday, January 11, at 11 a.m. as part of Arizona Philharmonic’s Community Lecture Series, followed by a pre-concert talk on Sunday, January 12 at 2 p.m.
Learn more and buy tickets at AZPhil.org.