The Mariner Compass

About one hundred students listened to the music performance of Tendai Mapurutsa, during the FOL Wednesday Sept. 28. Walking into the Commons, the sound of four large xylophones and a maraca set resonated from speakers into the hallways. Some teachers and students peppered the walls while most sat at the lunch tables. Passing students would stop to listen, gathering close to twenty people sitting at the 2nd story hallway to watch the jazzy ensemble high school students on the xylophones: Patrick, Axel, Jonas, Drew, the older gentleman on the maracas and Tendai.

The vast majority of students were either sitting and staring with blasé expressions or chatting in groups. “This is dance music,” Tendai proclaimed into the microphone after finishing one of his songs. “It’s not the same as classic music, where you sit and clap after the music.” And there were some who clapped along and tapped their feet along with the rhythm while most died away to just idly listening, having lost their initial interest in the music.

The school bell ended near the closing of a song and the students left without much of a commotion. There was a quick announcement about “Soul Resonance,” a documentary about Tendai during the documentary film festival going on this week, hardly noticeable as it was.

By Dylan Zharoff