BRATTLEBORO — Friends of Music at Guilford, now in its 49th concert season, has been presenting a three-day music enrichment residency for the Guilford Central School (GCS) for seven seasons.
Master teacher Todd Roach, a drummer-percussionist based in Brattleboro, and a number of his performing colleagues have been working with the upper grades at GCS in rhythm, voice, and instrumental workshops. Participants demonstrate what they have been learning at an assembly performance for the whole school on the final day.
Support for the residency program is provided by an annual seed-money grant from the Max Y. Seaton Trust as well as by two program fundraisers: a spaghetti supper at the school and a public concert by residency teachers and guest artists in Brattleboro.
This season's benefit concert will be in the Brooks House atrium, at 128 Main St., from 7 to 8:30 p.m., during Brattleboro's first-Friday Gallery Walk on Feb. 6.
Performers on Feb. 6 include residency teachers Todd Roach on percussion and Mac Ritchey on a variety of stringed instruments. In concert they combine the sounds of the Arabic oud, the Turkish saz, and western guitar with frame drums, darbuka, cajon, and other world percussion in a program of traditional and original material.
Their musical journey is heavily influenced by the music of Turkey, Egypt, Brazil, South India, Greece, Persia, and West Africa. Joining them for part of the concert is clarinetist Anna Patton, who shared residency staff duties with Roach last season.
Roach and Ritchey have collaborated in a variety of musical settings since 2002. They worked together in the World Music ensembles 35th Parallel, Trio Mobius, and Ensemble Datura.
In these projects they discovered their chemistry for composing and performing, and found their voice as a duo.
Over the years, they have performed together at the Hopkins Center (Dartmouth), The Flynn Space (Burlington), Tufts University, Vermont Jazz Center, New England Conservatory of Music, the Walters Art Museum (Baltimore), One Drum Festival (Windsor, Vt.), and the Tamburi Mundi International Frame Drum Festival (Germany).
They are currently working on a recording of their duo music.