Children’s Concert Society, which has been bringing free music and dance programs into the schools for youngsters throughout Summit County and beyond since 1954, wasn’t about to let COVID-19 stop them from delivering that vital arts enrichment.

This school year, the nonprofit educational organization is bringing concerts to area schools virtually, via videos that a diverse group of Northeast Ohio artists are creating to keep the performing arts offerings flowing. In the past, schools could book one free in-school concert in the fall and another in the spring. Now, for districts such as Akron Public that are starting the semester remotely as well as others that are in-person, the artists’ 30-minute videos can be used by school music teachers to enhance students’ online learning whenever they want, as many times as they want.

Previously, 15 to 20 artist groups performed at schools throughout the region in more than 150 concerts each year. This year, 17 previous in-school artists ranging from Canal Stories with Hey Mavis to the University of Akron Brazilian Group are creating videos for the online program.

The benefits are twofold, said board member Dianne Newman: The schools continue to receive free music and dance content and CCS continues to pay local artists whose livelihoods have been hurt over the last six months by the pandemic.

Laurie Michelle Caner, singer and banjoist for Hey Mavis, said nothing beats seeing kids light up in person during her band’s performances. Now, by necessity, artists must think creatively to engage students who are sitting at computers for daily distance learning.

“In times like this, where it’s basically a national emergency type of situation, it really comes down to continuing to connect with people,” she said. “We still have to bring art and music to them [students] because it is so vital for our emotional and mental health … Art and music is so therapeutic and it really reminds us that we’re still humans and we can still connect that way.”

Her Kent-based band filmed its canal era-themed video on the back deck of her and husband Eddie Caner’s yard, which backs up to the Cuyahoga River. They set up three cameras to film their outdoor concert, which was only the second time the band has played together since the pandemic started.

They infused humor into the video from the start, with drummer Anthony Taddeo and bassist Bryan Thomas arriving for the gig via canoe, paddling on the river. They get there just in time to perform “Headway,” something that Laurie Caner said a canal boat captain used to yell when a boat approached a lock.

Hey Mavis, which participated with CCS’ in-school programming for the first time last year, weaves its music about the canal heritage with artwork by Leandra Drumm from the band’s book “Silver Ribbon Dream — Songs and Stories of the Ohio & Erie Canal,” a project that won a 2016 Akron Knight Arts Challenge grant.

They use the song “Lift Up the Boat” to explain how canal boats moved through 42 locks and up 395 feet in elevation to get from Cleveland to Akron, a trip that took 16 to 24 hours. Their storytelling is fun, including the song “Miss Uno,” about a canal-era snake charmer.

“Let’s not just have this be about educating them about the canal,” she said. “It’s also about trying to relax a little bit and laugh and giggle and enjoy it.”

With the online platform, Hey Mavis’ act can be seen by even more school groups, Caner said. And the band, which previously focused on performing concerts, has learned some new skills by producing a 30-minute video.

“So many people are having to reinvent how they approach their job and their passion,’’ Caner said of area artists.

The mission of CCS’ in-school concert program is to foster music appreciation, encourage young musicians and create a connection between cultures and races where music is a universal language. Married artists Tina Bergmann and Bryan Thomas make those cultural connections in their video, where she talks about how the hammered dulcimer originated from 10th century Persia.

Bass player Thomas (also of Hey Mavis) talks about his instrument being like a big fiddle in their video featuring music from early America, Cuba and South America. Bergmann also contrasts how she hammers her hammered dulcimer but strums her Appalachian mountain dulcimer to produce sound.

How to register

Children’s Concert Society has emailed season brochures with descriptions of the 17 artist choices to area public, private, parochial and charter schools. To book virtual concerts see https://childrensconcertsociety.org/virtual-in-school-concert-series for a reservation form. For a brochure, call 330-972-2504 or email ccs@uakron.edu.

CCS has a strong relationship with the University of Akron music and dance programs, with nine of its offerings being UA student ensembles. Several of those, including the UA Chamber Choir, Opera Lyric Theatre and Dance Company Touring Ensemble, will have their performance videos available in January.

Percussion professor Larry Snider from the school of music has been collaborating with CCS for 40 years, sending his student performers to area schools.

“They’re so passionate about showing children music and how it will affect the rest of their lives,” he said of Children’s Concert Society.

Current graduate students Sara Simonovska, Peter Loferski and Case Dunaway are busily working on creating videos for the virtual performances this year. They’re doing triple duty, co-producing videos as members of the the UA Percussion Ensemble, African Drum Group and Brazilian Group.

In the African Drum Group, they introduce the West African djembe, how it sounds and how to strike it. Then they play a tune.

“We want the kids to be curious about it,’’ Snider said of the world instruments. “Let’s give these kids a chance to taste something different, using the music to inspire them to learn about other countries.”

Outreach

Matt Dudack, who leads the percussion quartet Found Sounds with Wilbur Krebs, Erynn Krebs and Jeff Neitzke, said he thinks he’s played at every elementary school in Summit County through CCS. His group explores how drumming from around the world can be performed on everyday, household objects.

Their performance includes a “tamboo-bamboo” demo, which refers to when the British banned African hand drumming in Trinidad in 1884, which led to the practice of using stalks of bamboo to strike the ground in complex rhythms. Found Sounds also plays calypso, classical music and talks about the origin of the steelpan.

Dudack, artistic director of the University of Akron Steel Drum Band and steel drum director at Miller South, has been a CCS artist since 1997. This year, he adds video production to his job description as a CCS artist.

“It’s gonna be a nice supplement to have those [videos in schools] and it might reach more audiences,’’ he said.

Teacher appreciation

Rolando Pizana, who has taught K-5 music at Voris CLC in Akron since 1997, chose diverse artists for his students to learn from via video this year. They are solo artist and “musical explorer” Hal Walker, Verb Ballets, Urban Troubador (flute and guitar in different world cultures) and the world music of Bergmann and Thomas.

“This is globalization of music at its best,” Pizana said of the CCS offerings. “It sheds light on cultural and historical events around the world to bring music like this.”

Over the last 23 years, CCS’ in-school concerts have helped Pizana integrate discussions about emotional awareness, individuality and team-building with students.

“To me, it’s a lifelong journey of compiling an understanding of yourself based on your musical experiences,” he said.

In past years, he’s brought in CCS artists ranging from Native American singer/songwriter Steve Free to Hey Mavis. Pizana also appreciates that the CCS program promotes local artists.

“We need exposure to music and exposure to the world and if this is the format we’re going to do it, we’re going to do it to the best of our ability,” he said of this year’s video program.

Arts writer Kerry Clawson may be reached at 330-996-3527 or kclawson@thebeaconjournal.com.