Knock On Wood ~ Toco Madera

The story follows a group of young marimba students and their teacher on a musical journey. In Paul Meehan's marimba program, then at Odyssey School on Bainbridge Island, students learn to build marimbas, learn to play their instruments and go on to perform. This story follows Paul's first group of students, who started the program in fifth grade and four years later travel to Isla de Ometepe (Bainbridge’s sister island in Nicaragua) to teach a group there how to build marimbas. The Bainbridge students named their group "Ushamwari”, ”Lifelong Friendship" in the language of the Shona people of Zimbabwe, and, Ushamwari generally played music in the tradition of the Shona people of Zimbabwe. This music style from Zimbabwe was introduced to the Pacific Northwest in the late 1960's by Abraham Dumisani Maraire (“Dumi”). This film is dedicated to Dumi and Kim and Ela Esterberg, founders of the Bainbridge Ometepe Sister Islands Association (Islas Hermanas, bainbridgeometepe.org). The dance and music group on Ometepe, "Ometepetetlel”, have continued to build marimbas and give performances of Nicaraguan folkloric music and dance. The Ometepetlel program teaches music and dance to youngsters on Ometepe and has grown and expanded since Ushamwari's visit and workshop in 2008. Thanks to all the many people who were involved in the realization of the events in this story and allowing me to tell it, quite a privilege. Running time is 39 minutes. Footage was shot over a three year period. This was my first documentary film project, and, in spite of my technical inexperience, the story's richness and inspiration I think more than makes up for my errors made in production and post-production. I still enjoy watching it after many viewings and I hope you enjoy it too.