Wednesday, February 7, 2018

Odyssey Day 1 - Henhouse Prowlers


I was so excited to hear that the Henhouse Prowlers were performing at Odyssey 2018!  They are a blue grass band that I have seen over the years at other local performances (shout out to Capannari Ice Cream Shop in Mt Prospect).

The band explained the roots (culture) of blue grass and how the music does not include drums, but instead uses their voices and other instruments like a mandolin to create beats and harmonies.

The band not only performed but also spoke sociologically about their music and their experiences.  Aaron Dorfmann, SHS alum even gave sociology a shout out when he talked about following your passions.

The band spoke about travelling the world and how the US has a program to spread American culture around the globe.  The band has been to Eastern Europe including Russia and Turkmenistan and also to Africa including Niger and Mauritania.  They learned how hard it is to translate some things from English into other languages (as in their name - "prowler" presented a difficulty).  They also learned an appreciation for other countries' music.  In Niger they learned a folk song that they performed in the original language.