Barbara Croall Stories From Coyote with John Jules and Barbara Croall
Fri., Nov. 9, 10:30 a.m. and 11:45 a.m.
Rasmuson Theater, National Museum of the American Indian
Ages 5 to 10
 
 
 

Jeff Legacy (Cree) weaves traditional tribal singing, dance, and humor into his lively interpretations of Stories from Coyote, a collection of entertaining tales that teach the ancient lessons passed on through generations. The stories are set to the musical sounds of forest and nature by composer Barbara Croall (Odawa) and performed by members of The Contemporary Music Forum. Presented as part of the NMAI’s Classical Native program.

A Closer Look - About the Performers:

Barbara Croall (Odawa Nation)  was born in 1966, acclaimed Odawa composer Barbara Croall (Manitoulin Island Canada, Kineu Dodem) is active internationally, with works performed in several European countries, Britain, as well as the United States and Canada over the past several years. Apart from playing, performing and composing on traditional Native flutes and singing in traditional ceremonies, Barbara is also trained classically. She is also the Director of Women of the Four Directions, an organization that focuses on serving the needs of aboriginal women and their families.

Barbara has been composer-in-residence at the St. Norbert Arts Centre in Manitoba where her site-specific outdoor multi-media theatre work based on the Seven Sacred Grandfather Teachings - The Meeting Point of the Seven (2002) - was performed. This work “approaches history and time as a many layered transparency, whereby the past, present and future intersect and interact with one another” She was commissioned to compose the anthem for the 2002 Indigenous Games. In 2003 Barbara was shortlisted for the 2003 K.M. Hunter Award in the Arts. Broadcast and recording credits include: CBC Radio Two (In Performance and Two New Hours), Bayerishe Rundfunk - Bayern 3 (Germany), Deutsche Radio Swiss (DRS-II), Radio France, Italian National Television, APTN (Aboriginal Peoples' Television Network). In 2004 she was Composer-in-residence for the Niagara International Chamber Music Festival.

Ms. Croall has been commissioned to compose a major work for dance by the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation. Her works have been performed and premiered at many festivals including ADEvantgarde - Festival Neuer Musik (Munchen, Germany), MOTOPERPETUO (Pescostanzo, Italy), the Banff Summer Festival, Sound Symposium (St. John's, Newfoundland), and Festival d'Avignon (Villeneuve Lez Avignon, France).

The Contemporary Music Forum: Today’s musician’s are from Washington’s longest-running contemporary music ensemble, was founded in 1973 by professional performers and composers to encourage the composition and performance of contemporary classical music. CMF has performed at the Corcoran Gallery of Art since 1977 and was named the new music ensemble-in-residence at the gallery in 2003. The mission of CMF is to support and encourage the composition, performance, education, and enjoyment of new music, especially American music and collaborative works involving art and technology. The ensemble has premièred hundreds of new works and has performed pieces by hundreds of contemporary composers, with a special emphasis on the work of women composers. CMF presents concerts throughout the DC area and will be performing more than 75 modern works this season alone—many of them premières—in 14 concerts.