Tannis Gibson

Freeport, Bahamas - A four-lettered word called “luck” has had a special meaning for Grand Bahama-bound pianist Tannis Gibson and her playing partners this week.

In its bad form it nearly meant she missed a major US date in Pittsburgh when she went to a concert venue only to discover there were two places in the city with the same name and she was at the wrong one.  “Once the mistake was discovered, there followed a wild cab ride and five minutes to spare before concert time. I really don’t care for that sort of concert warm-up,” she recalled this week.

In its good form it has given her a glittering career as a soloist with leading orchestras, a teacher at the highest levels as well as of primary school kids, and a member of trios and larger groups who have appeared on US network TV, radio, and numerous leading edge recording studios.  Yet she says her being at her exalted level in music was all down to “very supportive parents, enthusiastic teachers and luck.”

The luck for Freeport audiences will be to have the chance to see and hear the end result this weekend in what is a remarkable coup for the Grand Bahama Performing Arts Society.

Mark Tanner

Joining her in what will be a world-class series of events at the Church of the Ascension in West Beach Road will be husband and wife team Janna Lower and Mark Tanner.  Together they make up the TrioCollage which was formed just last summer for a performing and teaching tour of the major cities in Chile. 

Violinist Janna, a music professor in Florida, had first met Tannis 30 years ago at college in New York but they had only really played together for the first time a couple of years ago. “We enjoyed it so much we would look for other opportunities to work together.

“Mark and I were invited to tour Chile this past summer and were asked to provide a pianist.  I asked Tannis, she was free for the dates and had never been to South America.  That was when Trio Collage was inaugurated,” Janna added.

The tour was a great success as had been Janna and cellist Mark’s previous musical outings in South America, the countries of which have become a regular stomping ground for them.  In fact all three performers have done a fair amount of globetrotting through Europe and Asia as well as being familiar faces throughout the Americas.  

While they are in Freeport they will be presenting a really eclectic musical mix which includes a short Saturday afternoon show for children – Carnival of the Animals; a classical chamber concert on Friday evening; and a presentation of lighter fare on Sunday afternoon.

It all adds up to a remarkable weekend of musical quality for an island the size of Grand Bahama.  It is also a programme which lends itself to the trio’s basic mission.

“The word “Collage” refers to the mixing of the possible musical combinations that a pianist, violinist and cellist present.  We always perform concerts with solos, various duos, as well as the standard ‘piano trio’ with all three together.  It makes it a lot more interesting for the audience,” said Janna.

Jana Lower

“We like to mix musical styles and incorporate a more popular element in each of our programmes.  This way there is something for everyone and the audience gets to experience an incredible diversity.”

The trio is particularly looking forward to the 4pm Saturday free but first-come-first-served kids’ concert where they will be joined as narrator by Dr. Marcus Bethel.  Tannis and Janna are high-grade university teachers but Tannis also really enjoys working with young children and trying to develop a love of music in them.

“The key is how we teach and present classical music to children. As performers, I think we have a duty to address this,” she said.

“Yearly, I try to present a classical music unit in elementary schools, usually between four and six sessions. I don’t believe it is enough to go in and simply play a brief concert and then disappear. This parachute effect has minimal impact.

“I try to present a unit around a composer, working with the teacher to integrate something of their daily curriculum into my presentation. It’s actually quite natural to delve into something like map reading with third graders, for example, when talking about certain composers.

“It is important to me that students walk away from the classroom experience with memorable knowledge; knowledge that they might someday take with them into a classical music concert.”

That chance will come at the weekend with French composer Saint Saens’s Carnival of Animals.  Grown-ups will get a mix of Bach, Debussy, and one of the greatest song writers of all time Irving Berlin as well as other household composer names at the Friday (January 15) concert, which starts at 8pm, and the Sunday event, which starts at 4pm.

And the “luck” for Janna and Mark?  It was the fact they got together at all since their early meetings were as rivals in US music competitions with both always bidding for the same prize…

Tickets for the concerts ($20 each or $35 the two) are available at the Seventeen Shop, Downtown, and Italian Specialty Imports, Seahorse Plaza.

The GBPAS was formed to encourage young performers on Grand Bahama and all proceeds go to that mission.