Percussion duo Musica Batteria entertains, educates, and fascinates audiences of all ages. Unique both visually and musically, concerts feature a dynamic repertoire of classical, Latin, and light popular favorites performed on a vintage rosewood marimba. For schools, interactive educational programs showcase the diversity of the percussion family through demonstrations and performances of instruments from around the world.

The Mustard’s Retreat show for kids is especially suited for elementary ages, grades 2-5, though it is very adaptable. It basically runs 45-60 minutes, and consists of songs and stories: sing alongs and interactive songwriting and a whole lot of fun!. In addition, Mustard’s Retreat can do songwriting workshops with the students.

Neil has spent his lifetime traveling, collecting a wealth of stories and experiences, and developing his rich musical background. From his adventures with the Gypsies of Spain, Cowboy TV Specials in Russia, and ethnomusicology studies in the Balkans, Eastern Europe, and beyond, Neil showcases his masterful adaptations of exotic folk and classical music on the uniquely American folk instrument, the 12-string guitar.

Sacred sound as chant exists in all cultures. Healing, or bringing balance to the body, mind, and emotions using these sounds is one of the most ancient of all traditions. Using 900-year-old chants written by a woman, Hildegard of Bingen, and authentic Tibetan singing bowls, Norma invites listeners into the intimacy that beautiful sacred music creates. Uniting her studies as a classical singer (University of Michigan, Masters in Voice Performance) with her studies of energy healing, Norma found her passion is bringing the inaudible realm of spirit into music for healing purposes. Blessed with a magical voice and having recorded four acclaimed CDs, she is traveling and sharing what she has found through concerts, workshops and individual sessions.

Poet Laureate of Grand Rapids from 2005-2007.

Pianist offering workshops.

Folk Music, Blues, Jazz, and World Music with an underlying theme of Cultural Diversity and World Brotherhood performed on harmonica, guitar, ukulele, kalimba, penny-whistle, jaw-harp and other folk instruments from around the world. Madcat's kids' concerts are "kid tested and approved."

"Since 1980 I have had the pleasure of playing folk music, blues and world music for school assemblies throughout the United States. In my assembly programs I use harmonicas, ukulele, guitar, penny-whistles, jaw-harps, kalimba and other folk instruments from around the world to demonstrate a variety of musical styles. The students are encouraged to ask questions and to participate in the program by clapping out rhythms, composing blues lyrics, and by singing along."

"My assembly programs run about fifty minutes in length. When I perform at a school I bring with me a portable sound reinforcement system (P.A.), and a large assortment of musical instruments. It usually takes me about an hour to unload my equipment, set it up, and tune my instruments. Then it takes another hour to pack it up and reload it into my car. For this reason I can do no more than two assembly programs per day. I usually charge $400.00 for an isolated assembly program, $500.00 for two shows in the same location, and $300.00 per school if I perform in two schools in one day. I like to book my engagements a few months in advance."

Grammy Award-winning harmonica virtuoso Peter Madcat Ruth is exhilarating to watch, and has amazed audiences worldwide. Acoustic guitar wizard Shari Kane is considered one of the country's most versatile blues guitarists, taking audiences from her raw interpretations of Delta Blues to an up-town Chicago groove with style and ease. Together, the pair make Madcat & Kane. Since 1990, the pair has wowed audiences nationally and internationally. Their repertoire includes many styles of American roots music including country blues, classic blues, and urban blues, plus a bit of folk music and a touch of jazz.

Pewabic Pottery provides an in school and after school programming on a flexible schedule that will work with what is needed by the host school. Typically a class would be 1-2 days a week and run between 6 and 12 weeks. Also available are one day workshops offsite where students can make a 4x4 tile, or a different project as discussed with the coordinator and the teacher beforehand.

This gumbo mixture of four stringed instruments is the complete performing package. Picks and Sticks String Band educates and entertains with their unique roller coaster assortment of music gone by. Their performances stretch the imagination and delight audiences with a variety of acoustic traditional folk, old time, country, cowboy, ethnic, swing and some light pop styles. Their original arrangements are performed on the fiddle, banjo, guitar and hammer dulcimer, and are complemented by incredible vocals. Picks and Sticks have toured the country and performed as convention headliners, at city concerts, schools, corporate functions, re-enactments and theme parks.

Puppet Art offers two outreach programs. The first is Journey with Puppets touring productions at workshops that come to schools. Offered by Puppet ART to schools with mobile versions of some of their most accessible productions as well as puppet making workshops, and puppet presentations.

Also available is Puppet Art Residencies. This is the most in-depth puppetry-in-education program. These take place at Puppet ART and at the schools involved in the residencies. Residencies are designed to assist students and teachers in their own puppet production projects. The residency teaches children about puppetry while focusing on language arts and literacy skills. The activity of creating a puppet production incorporates many literacy related tasks--selecting a story, rewriting it and developing a script, making the puppets and the props, creating characters’ roles, rehearsing and finally presenting the show to a variety of audiences.

This exhibition of fifteen quilts from the Michigan State University Museum.

Rackham Symphony has 3 outreach programs. The first is Singing it Real which is The Reluctant Dragon performed with life-sized puppets followed by a puppet making workshop and preceded by in class activities that are presented through an in service with teachers. Rackham also offers master classes. Lastly, RSC offers Voices of the Homeless which is a program on homelessness.

The process of weaving rags into useful household items came to Michigan with immigrants from northern Europe.

From formal events to educational programs, Raion Taiko offers unique entertainment for an array of occasions. Taiko is the dramatic and exciting Japanese art of ensemble drumming. With a repertoire ranging from traditional to modern, Raion Taiko is an unforgettable highlight at any event. Leaders Brian and Mayumi Sole trained in Taiko drumming at Asano Daiko in Japan, and have shared their passion in Michigan since opening the Great Lakes Taiko Center in 2009. A performing group of up to seven members, Raion Taiko has performed for many events around Michigan, including the Detroit Concert of Colors, Arts Beats and Eats and at the Detroit Institute of Arts.

Outreach programs are also available in science, history and the arts for all ages:Museum To Go; Animals To Go, History To Go and Art To Go

Raven Hill Discovery Center offers a wide variety of Classroom Assemblies designed for any age of student from Preschool through High School with subject matter & presentations geared to the specific group. Schools can schedule programs to work on topics of their choice, including but not limited to science, history, art & more to fit needs. Activities can be designed to introduce, reinforce or review topics including Common Core State Standards (CCSS) & grade level objectives.

Raven Hill staff travels from classroom to classroom with hands-on presentations.

Red Tail Ring is the Americana roots duo of Michael Beauchamp and Laurel Premo. Whether rendering a traditional tune or one of their original compositions, the duo infuses each song with musical imagination, haunting harmonies and instrumental artistry on fiddle, guitar, banjo, mandolin, jawharp and plain-old foot stomping. Three years and 300-plus shows into their partnership, Beauchamp and Premo have traveled increasingly farther in their musical ramblings, playing shows throughout the Midwest, East Coast and Southeastern United States. In the summer of 2011, the duo added Denmark to their list when they performed and taught as cultural ambassadors through the American Embassy.

Reed-Works Saxophone Quartet dazzles audiences with musical finesse and sensitivity, while covering a broad range of music styles such as swing, jazz, rock, and novelty tunes. Their repertoire includes transcriptions of great classical music, original saxophone literature, original music and arrangements by members of the quartet. These fine saxophone players also double on clarinets, flutes, and piccolo. The Reed-Works Saxophone Quartet has performed throughout Michigan, Ontario and Ohio since 1988, and is equally at home in band shells, concert halls, libraries and art fairs. Reed-Works is an amazing chamber group capable of entertaining a wide range of audiences.

Champion powwow dancer and full-blooded Native American from the Ho-Chunk Nation, Reg Pettibone presents an engaging cultural program that amazes, entertains and educates audiences. Along with his wife Marca, who is from the Paiute Nation, Pettibone draws on his traditional upbringing to provide the audience with a better understanding of true Native American culture through dance, song, stories, audience participation and a hands-on artifact display.