FLIPPOMUSIC for all ages

FLIPPOMUSIC performances have been a favorite to children in preschool, elementary and high schools. Although the group is primarily a quintet, if can perform as a quartet, trio or duo.

The quintet contains keyboard, wind player, electric bass, drums and percussionist while the trio includes a wind player, a keyboard player and a drummer/ percussionist; keyboard and percussion/drummer comprise the duo. The percussionist is usually the most popular, especially because of all of the unusual exotic drums and toys he has accumulated from all over the world. Kids just like to see someone hitting things and making big noises. But they show lots of interest in the unusual sound (and names) of different world instruments. The keyboard contains hundreds of sounds, many of which are samples (recorded sounds) of instruments such as the Japanese Koto, Indian sitar, African thumb piano, Latin-American steel drums and Irish fiddle and Scottish bagpipes.

FLIPPOMUSIC'S presentation includes descriptions of the various instruments and stories about the country they are from. The band loves to play familiar songs in different grooves and styles on unusual instruments and encourages the audience to play and clap along with various rhythmic patterns. The ensemble has performed for Junior High students at "The American Band Camp" held at Concordia College, young children at the Blair School, Chicago, and is scheduled to perform at both elementary and junior high schools in the upcoming year. We have also performed for severly disabled children.

Dave Flippo holds a Doctorate of Music from the University of Michigan and a Master of Music from the Eastman School of Music. He has taught jazz piano, theory and compositon (ages 7 through 80) at the Swain Studios of Evanston since l987 and currently teaches jazz piano at the College of Lake County in Grayslake. He has also teaches jazz piano, theory and composition at DePaul University and has taught music at the College of DuPage.