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Musician-conservationists to visit UB

Students participating in the Clarinets for Conservation program study clarinet performance during the mornings and spend afternoons learning about Tanzania’s indigenous trees.

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By SUE WUETCHER
Published: March 15, 2012

Clarinets for Conservation, a group of musician-educators that aims to teach conservation through music education, will visit UB on March 27 for a free lecture and recital.

The concert-lecture, sponsored by the Department of Music, will take place at noon on March 27 in Baird Recital Hall, 250 Baird Hall, North Campus

Clarinetists Scott Horsington and Michele Von Haugg will perform contemporary works for clarinet by Theresa Martin, Libby Larsen and Eric Mandat that involve such extended techniques as circular breathing, multiphonics and quarter tonality.

During the lecture portion of the program, the musicians will talk about the mission of Clarinets for Conservation, its educational program and its conservation efforts in Tanzania.

Founded in 2010, Clarinets for Conservation sends educators to Tanzania to teach children about the clarinet and basic elements of conservation.

Clarinets are made primarily from wood from Tanzania’s national tree, the Mpingo—also known as African blackwood and grenadilla. The tree is in great demand by artists, furniture makers and hardwood carvers all over the world, which has threatened its future.

Students participating in the Clarinets for Conservation program study clarinet performance during the mornings and spend afternoons learning about Tanzania’s indigenous trees.

They also perform publicly, drawing large crowds: Although the wood used in the instrument is harvested primarily in Tanzania and Mozambique, the people of these countries know almost nothing of the clarinet.

During the concerts, students talk to the audience about the trees they are studying, serving a vital role in educating their families and community members about the importance of protecting natural resources. Mpingo trees are planted following the concerts.

Clarinets for Conservation plans another trip to Tanzania in May, with a goal of teaching 20 students and planting 500 Mpingoes.

The group is supported solely by grants and donations.

For more information, visit the Clarinets for Conservation website.