The Western Illinois Museum in Macomb rang in holiday cheer with an atypical concert called “Seasonal Sounds, Reimagined.”
‘We had fun’
The concert opened with the Western Whackers, a percussion ensemble playing Boomwhackers.
“They’re plastic tubes. The length of the tube defines the pitch,” said Kevin Nichols, an associate professor of music at Western Illinois University, where he teaches percussion.
“You essentially split up the pitches like, one person gets a B flat, one person gets a B natural, and we try to synchronize things to come out with melodies.”
The Boomwhackers are also different colors, which signifies different notes. The musicians bang them on chairs, tables, or whatever is front of them.
Nichols said his students introduced him to Boomwhackers through videos demonstrating that young children can easily get sound from the tubes and learn how to work together.
“As a percussionist/drum set player growing up, I studied classical music. I studied jazz. This was not part of my regular day,” he said.
But he was open to the new experience.
“We had fun. That’s a big part of it,” Nichols said.

Getting to play the melody
The concert closed with Tuba Christmas, which is a worldwide celebration now in its 51st year.
James Land, an assistant professor of tuba at WIU, said this is the fourth year they’ve done Tuba Christmas in Macomb. The local ensemble featured around 25 players this year on traditional tubas, marching baritones, sousaphones, and euphoniums.
“It really comes down to between tuba and euphonium, you got the lower voices and the higher voices. They all come together and make a beautiful sound and we can make some beautiful music,” he said.
Land said Tuba Christmas performances in large cities such as New York or Chicago can attract hundreds of musicians.
Land said part of the Tuba Christmas fun for the musicians comes from the fact that the tuba is usually in the background. He said they’re like the offensive linemen on a football team – they play an important role, but it’s in support of others.
But during Tuba Christmas, they get the spotlight.
“That’s one of the things that the tuba players get so excited about for Tuba Christmas, because they get to play the melody. It’s a really great treat for tuba players,” he said.
‘A great experience’
Emily Hardy and James Sheese played in both ensembles. They’re both WIU students, and they each plan to be music educators.
Both are French horn players, but Hardy said they need to be well-rounded.
“As education students, we need to know how to play all the instruments so that we can be prepared to teach,” she said.
Sheese said the Boomwhackers provide a new perspective to playing music.
“It’s very different from playing any standard instrument because you have only two notes at a time usually, and you have to rely on everyone else to be before and after you,” he said.
The two college students said there is no stress with this type of performance. It’s just a great way to reach out to the community.
And Hardy found the quirky nature of the concert fun.
“I really enjoy the different feel and the different sounds and that kind of stuff,” she said.
“It gives you a great experience because many times in beginning band you’re not going to have the basic band instrumentation. So having little things like this gives you an idea how to listen across any type of ensemble.”
Sheese concurred.
“I love doing these types of things. It’s relaxing in its own way. And it’s fun. It helps keep the musical wheel in my head, the sparks going and not let everything burn out too quick.”
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