Hickory – The Catawba Science Center with support from the United Arts Council presents Stellar Sound Saturday. May 14, 2022’s celebration of astronomy and music with WNC Sculpture Center & the LRU Percussion Ensemble.Catawba Science Center’s Stellar

Sunrisers session at 11:00 AM allows you to explore Space Junk through a sky talk with Space Junk Soundtrack! A visual and audible experience intended to bring to light the current and expanding dilemma of the cluttering of Earth’s orbit (and beyond) with satellites, space stations, and other human-made debris.

The show includes a short educational film developed by Erin Graves with a live recorded performance of Ivan Trevino’s composition for percussion entitled Space Junk provided by the Lenoir Rhyne University Percussion Ensemble.

Join us at 12:00 PM, 1:30 PM, or 3:00 PM for live performances inside the Millholland Planetarium. Audience members will first enter Earth’s orbit and be taken on a lunar exploration while dreamily listening to Claude Debussy’s Clair de Lune (1905) as performed on vibraphone and arranged by percussionist Zachary Bailey.

Have you ever wanted to surf on Saturn’s rings? Well now is your chance to catch some gaseous waves while being accompanied by Casey Cangelosi’s, Jazz on Saturn(2018), performed in surround sound by the LRU Percussion Ensemble.

Once your head stops spinning, step outside into the Hall of Astronomy for a live performance of “Space Junk” by Ivan Trevino. “Space Junk (2017) is a children’s story… about a little star who gets covered in space junk, makes her way out of it, and creates beautiful things with it.” It is a work for “percussion quartet, scored for desk bells, crotales, three or four glockenspiels, two vibraphones, two percussion setups, synth keyboard, and narrator.”

For the finale, participate in a Collective Community Improvisation using the hands-on, playable sculpture made of materials similar to that of “space junk”. The interactive Space Junk Sculpture was curated by Joseph Bigley from the Western North Carolina Sculpture Center.

Stay after the performances for the Stargazers session; a musical Yandkadi: Full Moon Community Celebration! Members of the LRU Percussion Ensemble will perform a traditional full moon rhythm and song deriving from the Susu people of Guinea, West Africa. Members of the community are invited to participate by either playing, singing, or dancing along. BYOD – Bring Your Own Drum

This project was partially funded by the United Arts Council of Catawba County. Performances are included with the price of Admission to CSC. Seating in the Millholland Planetarium is on a first-come, first-served basis.

On the SALT Block, 243 Third Avenue NE, Hickory, NC 28601 t: (828) 322-8169.