VII. Especially for Young Audiences

A. World History and Culture

Andean Folk Music and Cultures of South America
By Oscar Rios Pohirieth
Experience the Andean cultures of Ecuador, Bolivia, Peru and Chile through an acoustic journey and storytelling. The founder and director of the award-winning Lincoln-based Andean musical group Kusi Taki (Quechua for Enchanting Music) will play traditional South American instruments including the Quena (flute), Zampoņas (panpipes), Charango (ten-stringed small guitar) and Bombo (goatskin drum) and sing in Spanish and Quechua to bring alive the cultures and history of the indigenous peoples of the Andes.

Didgeridoo and Dulcimer, Too
By Robert & Phyllis Dunne
The Dunnes present the unique sounds of the Appalachian Mountain dulcimer and the Australian Aboriginal didgeridoo. The program invites audience participation as the Dunnes describe the representative cultures. The dulcimer and the didgeridoo are known for their characteristic mesmerizing drones. Phyllis focuses on the history behind American folk songs, while Bob shares the legacy of folk tales and traditions. 

Dunne "Dooing" It
By Robert Dunne
Dunne provides a look at traditional Aboriginal culture using such musical instruments as the didgeridoo (an ancient Australian wind instrument made from a tree branch hollowed out by termites), clapsticks and bullroar.

Mexican-American Christmas Traditions
By Olga Olivares
Learn about the Christmas traditions of the Mexican-American community of Scottsbluff in this hands-on program that gives insight into a culture with roots in Mexico. Olivares brings many Mexican-American Christmas items for everyone to see and touch, explaining the significance of each in the nine-day holiday celebration.

Music From Around the World
By David Marsh
With over a dozen instruments and stories about each, David entertains with music from around the world. This multi-cultural program is a musical expose of the influence that immigrants from around the world have had on our American culture. Audiences learn about the creativity of the "folk" who developed the instruments and musical styles, the role music has played in traditional cultures and the musical influences various cultures have had on one another in America.

A Visitor From Russia
By Richard Kimbrough
Kimbrough assumes the personage of Dr. Viktor Ustinov, a Russian visiting the U.S.A. He points out cultural differences ranging from food to education to marriage. Later in the program he drops his "Russian" accent and addresses the audience as himself, but before he assumes his real identity, the audience will be forced to think about cultural and political differences. He has presented this program more than 500 times all across the nation.