The Yoruba people have a fascinating family of musical instruments called talking drums that "speak" the language. Presented will be a newly composed work that combines the essence of the talking drum with European Amplified Bassoon making a unique combination and listening experience! the presentation introduces the cultural aspects of the talking drum.

Dr. Varner has been Director of Percussion at the University of Texas at Arlington for 34 years. He holds a degree in Music Education from Bowling Green State University, a Master’s in Performance from The University of Michigan, and a Doctorate in Performance from The University of North Texas. With a long history as an educator he has given presentations Internationally. He draws from 40 years experience performing repertoire to the highest standards. In 2014 he released his latest CD “reVelations” featuring his own compositions. Excerpts from Dr. Varner's performances can be seen on Youtube.
His interest in world music led to a sabbatical in Nigeria and “Study-Abroad” classes to Ghana. His article “Skin That Speaks” was published in the 2013 Percussive Notes Journal. He teaches all percussion and world music courses at UT Arlington. He has presented Percussion clinics in every state, Europe, and Japan and has over 20 commissioned compositions published internationally.

This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at http://ted.com/tedx