Music, dancers, food and holiday spirit at Holiday Percussion Concert

Percussion, dancers, milk and cookies are just a few of the fun elements that Southeast Missouri State University applied percussion professor Dr. Shane Mizicko tries to add into the annual Holiday Percussion Concert.

Mizicko started the show in 2008 when he noticed that there are many different concerts and performances during the holidays, but none were directly aimed at children. Because Mizicko has two young children himself, he wanted to start a show that he knew his young sons would enjoy. Thus, the Holiday Percussion concert began.

"I wanted a percussional calibur concert to take kids to that parents wouldn't have to worry about children making noise," Mizicko said. "The community didn't have a concert like this."

Mizicko said that the first year the concert was performed, there were an estimated 300 people in attendance. For last year's performance, attendance was around 900 people, with only standing room left available for the people in attendance.

Mizicko recently added the use of egg-shakers that can be purchased prior to the show for $3, which goes to the Southeast Percussion Organization. Mizicko started the organization "a few years ago" to help keep up maintenance on the percussion instruments, bring in guest performers and do "anything related to percussion" for the music department.

There are songs in the program that are noted as better for the egg-shakers to be played, although Mizicko said no one will be upset if they are shaken during songs that aren't noted.

Although the show is free, a $1 donation is suggested for patrons age 6 and up. This donation also will go to the Southeast Percussion Organization.

"We're bringing in the fourth grade choir from Alma Schrader [Elementary School]," said Robb Davis, a Southeast student and one of the two non-percussion performers in the concert.

Mizicko also said that one of his sons will perform with the choir.

There are 17 students performing in the show. Mizicko said that when the show began, there were more students who performed, but the music played has become more complex, so he wants to use the more experienced students.

With 13 songs in the program, the show's running time will be around 45 minutes. Along with the performers, 16 dancers from Dance Extension in Jackson, Mo., will perform to selections from "The Nutcracker." Students from Southeast's theater and dance department will sing during some songs.

"It's a very visual show," Mizicko said, adding that he includes slideshows during the performance.

He said that "Frosty the Snowman," "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer," "The Polar Express" and "Christmas Time is Here" from "A Charlie Brown Christmas" will all have slideshows.

Milk and cookies will be provided to everyone after the performance. Mizicko said that he gets donations from the Southeast Arts Council, along with asking for donations from other people he knows. He said he normally goes to Sam's Club and buys "17 or 18 gallons of milk" and gets "very strange looks." His sons enjoy any extra milk and cookies that are left over, and his students take full advantage of them as well.

The sixth annual Holiday Percussion concert will be at 10:30 a.m. on Dec. 14 in the Donald C. Bedell Performance Hall at the River Campus. Coloring will be available before the performance.