Meso-American Instrument Making & Storytelling (Online Kids Class)

MARCH REGISTRATION CLOSED! Stay tuned for what’s coming next!

Enrollment deadline: Saturday, February 27, 2021

Scholarship deadline: Saturday, February 23, 2021

Dates: Saturdays in March at 11am

Cost: $85 for 4 week class series (No Drop Ins)

Age range: 7-11 years old

Meso-American Instrument Making & Storytelling with Maestro Ernesto Olmos

This class is part of La Peña’s Mundo Musicales Kids Class Series, whose curriculum is designed to develop musicianship, physical coordination, self-expression, bilingual literacy/pronunciation skills, multicultural awareness and a strong sense of identity. Maestro Ernesto will provide the children with an introduction to Mesoamerican instruments including whistles, ocarinas, flutes, Mayan trumpets and maracas. They will learn and practice native Meso-American music and percussion. Students will make their own instrument inspired by native storytelling and legends from Oaxaca, Mexico that teach children about environmentalism from a native perspective.

Please note: Some supplies are required for this class, and you are responsible for purchasing those supplies. If you need further clarification or help finding the supplies, please contact us.

Supplies needed:

• 3 Large Plastic Eggs
• Colored Pipe Cleaners
• Popcorn Kernels
• Rubber Bands
• Feathers for Crafting
• White, yellow, red and black construction paper
• Scissors
• Colored markers
• Black pipe cleaners
• White glue
• Printables: [PDF version] or [Docx version]

Teacher Bio: Ernesto Olmos

Ernesto Hernandez Olmos was born and raised in Oaxaca, Mexico. He is a multi-talented artist, specializing in many cultural art forms of the pre-Columbian peoples of Meso-America including music, dance, storytelling, sculpture, painting and making traditional instruments out of wood and clay. He contemparizes the traditional music forms from Oaxaca in addition to creating his own compositions and makes instruments based on Meso-American design including flutes, drums and whistles fashioned from wood, clay, gourds and bone. His music/dance group, Besh Beni (Jaguar of Light) creates Toltec, Zapotec and Mistec inspired performances for schools, cultural events and traditional gatherings throughout California and internationally. Ernesto is a stimulating and interactive teacher; he educates youth and adults about native cultures as they create enjoyable art with a cultural message. He is an inspired painter and has created hundreds of paintings in oil, acrylic, pastels – virtually any media that he can find he enjoys exploring. He has created three murals in Oakland, including one at the MacArthur Bart Station specially commissioned by the City of Oakland, and one mural in Berkeley. He has been based in the Bay Area since 1997.