Native American Storytelling and Gourd Maraca Residency
Instructor, Hawk Hurst has been sharing his joy of gourd crafts for nearly two decades. This class will provide each student with a chance to create a unique musical instrument or gourd craft. During the program, under Hawk’s tutelage, the students will learn the historical and cultural uses of gourds by people across the world. Students will also become familiar with botanical information. Students will clean off their gourds and then open them up using a tool called an awl. Next they will clean out the seeds and proceed to create their maraca.
Participants will have an opportunity to decorate their gourds with stone pigments, relying upon ancient artistic techniques developed and refined by early, Native American inhabitants of this region. The differences between petroglyphs and pictographs will be examined and students will have several of books to look through with these types of designs. Upon completion, they will be provided group and individual instruction on how to play some traditional West African and Native American songs with their maracas or drums.
We are excited for Hawk's visit!
