Published: March 03, 2008 11:32 am            

First Friday presents marimba program

Ada — Ada Arts and Heritage Center will host its monthly First Friday reception on March 7 at the Center located at 14th and Rennie.

There will be a light lunch served beginning at 11:30 a.m. and the musical program will start at 12:15 p.m.  The event is open to the public.  There is no charge for the event but donations are appreciated.

Dr. Benjamin T. Finley on the marimba will be the featured performance. Dr. Finley is currently the assistant director of bands and director of percussion studies at East Central University.  Originally from Searcy, Ark., Finley earned the doctorate of musical arts in percussion performance from the University of Texas at Austin.  Prior to his appointment at ECU, he served on the faculty of Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas.  In addition, he was the director of the marching percussion program at the University of Texas from 2003 to 2005, coordinating and teaching the drum line of the Longhorn Band.

Some of Finley's additional experience includes serving as percussion caption head of the Delta Brigade Drum and Bugle Corps in 2000 and competing at the Percussive Arts Society International Snare Drum Individuals.  He has worked with several schools in the Austin/San Antonio area and given clinics in several states.

Finley also holds a master of music from the University of Central Arkansas as well as a bachelor of arts in music education from Arkansas Tech University.  As a concert artist, he is active in both the creation and performance of new music for marimba and percussion and presents solo concerts throughout the Midwest.  He is currently involved with a consortium of marimba artists throughout the United States in the commissioning of a new work for marimba by Pulitzer Prize winning composer Charles Wuorinen and will premiere the piece in January 2009.

For more information about First Friday, phone (580) 332-7302 Monday through Friday between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m.

        

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