MDC Koubek Center Presents Cuban Multi-Instrumentalist Michael Gil in “The Moving Music Museum” July 16

Miami, July 7, 2022 – Miami Dade College’s (MDC) Koubek Center presents The Moving Music Museum, a fascinating global tour of music and musical instruments by multi-instrumentalist Michael Gil at 5 p.m. on Saturday, July 16. This event is free with RSVP.

“In The Moving Music Museum, I’ll be surrounded by musical instruments from different parts of the world, some very contemporary and some ancestral instruments from ancient cultures,” said Gil, who was born in Havana. “I’ll be talking about their origin and history and playing them to demonstrate their different techniques and sounds.”

Gil studied at a school for gifted students in Havana, and a few years after finishing high school, he began music studies in classical guitar at the Felix Varela School. He eventually worked as a guitar instructor and wrote music for film, theater, contemporary dance, and other audiovisual performances. He embarked on his path of discovery after finding a berimbau at a friend’s house. This single-string Brazilian percussion instrument resembles a bow with a resonator gourd at one end and is used in Capoeira, an Afro-Brazilian martial art that combines elements of dance, acrobatics, and music. His friend showed him a few basic ‘toques‘ (patterns) and Gil was hooked.

Since that discovery, Gil has devoted part of his career to researching and studying ethnic musical instruments, such as the berimbau, mbira, kalimba, didgeridoo, talking drum, and the jaw’s harps. These instruments are incorporated in his compositions and are the subject of lectures he has presented in Cuba, Mexico, and the U.S.

The Moving Music Museum is an all-ages show, and Gil expects the experience will be interactive.

“What I hope the audience will take away at the end of this experience is that music has been part of humanity since the earliest times,” Gil said. “There is no culture, no civilization without at least some form of music, however elementary it may be. Music can be part of all human beings. One does not necessarily have to be a musician or dedicate oneself entirely to the practice of music. Music is the heritage of humanity.

WHAT:   MDC Koubek Center Presents Michael Gil’s Moving Music Museum

WHEN:   Saturday, June 16, at 5 p.m.

WHERE: Koubek Center Theatre,

2705 SW 3rd St.

INDOOR EVENT – Free Parking

TICKETS: Free with RSVP

https://www.squadup.com/events/the-moving-music-museum-idea-original-michael-gil-koubek-center?legacy=0

About the Koubek Center
A South Florida landmark with a long and rich history as a cultural hub, The Koubek Center is dedicated to building community through the arts. Over the past several decades, the Center has offered a variety of activities, including workshops, art exhibitions, theater performances, literary readings, and concerts. It is a place for artists and local arts organizations to explore and experiment, engage in collaborations and share their work with the community. The Koubek Center includes a 200-seat theater, an expansive garden, classrooms, rehearsal, and multi-use spaces. Built in 1929 by Austrian trader John J. Koubek as a gift to his wife, it was later donated to the University of Miami and acquired by Miami Dade College in 2011. For more information, visit www.koubekcenter.org.

Miami Dade College is an equal access/equal opportunity institution that does not discriminate based on sex, race, color, marital status, age, religion, national origin, disability, veteran’s status, ethnicity, pregnancy, sexual orientation, or genetic information. Additional information may be obtained by contacting the College’s Equity Officer: Dr. Joy C. Ruff, at (305) 237-2577 (Voice) or 711 (Relay Service). jruff@mdc.edu