Simon Boyar at Strings School Days

My favorite memory of Strings is...

Simon Boyar - 2011

"Watching all of the elementary kids bursting with energy, hands flying in the air hoping they will be one of the lucky ones to get picked by Simon Boyer to ask him a question, usually what his favorite band is or if he can play the Super Mario Brothers Theme!" -Summer Johnston

Simon Boyar was the Strings School Days featured musician in 2010 and 2011. The 2012 Strings School Days program concludes tonight with a free concert by Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) at the Strings Music Pavilion. Tickets will be available starting at 6:00pm. Doors open at 6:30pm and the concert starts at 7:00pm. No advanced ticket reservations.

Strings School Days Returns with DBR

Strings School Days Field Trip 2011

This week, the youth music education outreach program Strings School Days returns to Northwest Colorado. Leading this two-year cycle is violinist, educator, and composer Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR). During his time here, he will meet students from 11 schools at classroom visits and field trips.

Roumain will also work closely with music students, leading interactive sessions where students will experience music and instruments in new ways. Some of his musical experiments include manipulating tempos, walking while playing, and decomposing scores. Above all, Roumain strives to show students that they can be composers simply by making a few small changes. He empowers the students to take control of their music.

All Strings School Days events are free and open to the public. Check out the schedule below for details on when you can see DBR.

Alpin Hong at Strings School Days

My favorite memory of Strings is...

Alpin Hong - 2009

"Alpin Hong’s infectious love of music and Steamboat and Strings and his gracious manners as he visited with us."
"Alpin Hong is a bright ray of sunshine wherever he appears!"
"Coming here when I was very young and being chosen to play on the stage with Alpin Hong. I love Steamboat."

Alpin Hong was the Strings School Days featured musician in 2008 and 2009. Strings School Days returns next week May 7-11, 2012. Please join us for a free concert with Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) on May 11th at the Strings Music Pavilion. Tickets will be available starting at 6:00pm on May 11. Doors open at 6:30pm and the concert starts at 7:00pm. No advanced ticket reservations.

Spotlight: Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR)

“From rock clubs to symphony halls, the composer, musician, and performer Daniel Bernard Roumain seems unstoppable.”  -New York Sun

Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR)

Before Daniel Bernard Roumain (DBR) was a nationally known violinist performing with Lady Gaga and Philip Glass, he started out as most of us do. Just trying to figure out who we are. While many musicians conform to set genre lines and follow the rules for their specific instrument, Roumain did the opposite. "What I set out to do was make the violin more reflective of who I am, and what I'm into," Roumain told NPR.  

Along the way he asked himself more questions: "Where does blackness come into play in the violin - and more than that, where does hip-hop come in?" The answers are in the music. So if you thought that the classical violin could never touch hip-hop, dance, and African rhythms, you’re about to be proven wrong.

Besides erasing genre lines, Roumain also challenges the inherent qualities of the violin. The violin is classified as a stringed instrument, where sound is generated from the vibration of strings across a soundboard or soundbox. But Roumain proves that the violin can also be a percussion instrument, where sound is generated by striking one object against another.

Promoting Music in Steamboat Springs Schools

Simon Boyar and Jim Knapp during Rehearsal

During the first week of May, Strings Music Festival brought marimba player Simon Boyar to Steamboat Springs to perform with eight local school groups. Over the course of the week, Simon rehearsed with each group at the schools and at the Strings Pavilion, where students took field trips to watch their peers perform. The program concluded with two nights of performances, just about filling the house with friends, family members, teachers and other supporters of young musicians.

Students Arriving at the Pavilion for Field Trips

But Strings School Days is more than just a weeklong event. In May of 2010, Simon met with all the groups. After getting a feel for each group, he decided to write original pieces specifically for the Christian Heritage Choir, the Lowell Whiteman Primary School String Orchestra, the 7^th Grade Percussion Ensemble and the Yampa Valley Select Band. Simon visited Steamboat Springs again in January to see how the ensembles sounded and to give them notes for the May concerts.

At the shows, Simon expressed his gratitude that Steamboat Springs recently voted to keep the fifth grade band program, advocating that the arts are important for students’ development and experiences. Programs such as Strings School Days excite students about the arts, bonding them with a group of peers, motivating them to practice music for a World Premiere and giving them the chance to perform with a professional.

The students spoke positively about the experience, describing it as “special,” “cool” and “a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”

“The students are inspired and boy has it transformed my percussionists! I know that you were really only here a short time but you made an incredible and lasting impact on our school!” –Band Director Jim Knapp to Simon Boyar

“What an opportunity for my students!   You brought an element to their performance that they have never experienced.   It was exciting for me and I can only imagine the impact on them!  They are still talking about it- of course.” - Strings Director Mary Anne Fairlie to Simon Boyar

Check out our links section on the side bar for photos and videos of Strings School Days.

Simon Boyar Returns for Strings School Days

Professional percussionist and marimba player, Simon Boyar, returned to Steamboat Springs last week for Strings School Days.  Simon composed several pieces of music for students around the area, including Lowell Whiteman Primary School, Hayden High School, Christian Heritage and the Steamboat Springs High School and Middle School. Over 500 students and 30 adults were a part of the program.

Simon not only entertained the students with his talent on the marimba but also instructed along the way.  The students were excited to play different tempo music and will continue to practice Simon's pieces throughout the next several months.  He returns in May when the students will perform his compositions at the Strings Music Pavilion.

Students had a chance to ask questions of Simon, which ranged from "Can you play Lady Gaga?" to "What is your favorite baseball team?"  He answered by playing Lady Gaga's Poker Face and let them all know the Yankee's are his favorite team.  Simon Boyar currently lives in Brooklyn, NY and is perhaps the most electrifying and innovative young percussionist on the music scene today.


WATCH SIMON BOYAR WITH THE STEAMBOAT 7TH GRADE PERCUSSION GROUP.