Students Bring Down The House With Led Zepplin Cover On Xylophones

Mar 11, 2020 by apost team

People were stunned when a group of second- and ninth-grade students performed an unforgettable presentation of Led Zeppelin's “Kashmir” on their xylophones!

The talented students who took part in the performance are members of the Louisville Leopard Percussionists, a nonprofit music organization. The group is the brainchild of elementary school teacher Diane Downs. Diane's vision is to help students build their self-confidence and hone their musical abilities. She takes the organization and its goals very seriously.

Thanks to a collection of old instruments downs discovered stored away in a closet several years ago, she was able to form her first musical ensemble with the students. They called themselves the Louisville Leopard Percussionists.

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Downs began making her vision a reality back in 1993 when she found the collection of unused instruments. Ten years later, after she put together her first successful ensemble, she became determined to bring opportunities to children whose schools lacked the resources to allow the kids to expand their musical horizons. After her success with her first student ensemble, she continued to reach out to more and more schools and more and more students.

To date, her organization has included students from the second grade, the ninth grade, and those who come from 49 schools throughout the area. Some of the students have never experienced playing a musical instrument before. That doesn't matter to Diane. Her organization welcomes all students who want to learn about musical instruments. Even if the kids aren't interested in actually learning to play the instruments, they are welcome to join the organization just to learn about the different instruments.

The program classifies students into four age groups. Their first requirement as part of the organization is to go to summer camp prior to beginning music lessons.

At camp, the kids learn about percussion instruments from experienced instructors. The camp works in conjunction with the program to create future musicians among the students.

The kids practice regularly, and they have become a very talented group of performers. They even travel to other states to perform. So far, they have been to New York, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, and Louisiana. The group has even been featured and their very own HBO special called, “The Leopards Take Manhattan: The Little Band That Roared”. This did wonders for their confidence and garnered a lot of attention and interest in the program.

This wonderful group of kids has a real love for music. They are dedicated and hardworking, and they more than deserve the opportunities Diane Downs’ incredible program has given them. People like Diane and organizations like the Louisville Leopards Percussionists provide life-changing opportunities to children who otherwise probably wouldn't have them and therefore wouldn't be able to develop their musical talents to share with the world.

School is important and necessary for children, but if it only involves basic schoolwork and studying, they aren't going to become well-rounded individuals who thrive in life. Music is one of the artistic endeavors that will help children to look forward to school so that they can attend clubs, lessons, and practice sessions doing something they love. It is unfortunate that so few schools are able to offer these opportunities because of lack of staffing and slash or financial issues. The people, venues, and everyone involved with the nonprofit organization deserve to be recognized and applauded for helping these young people to develop their passion for music.

Experience this amazing performance group for yourself. Check out the video of the Louisville Leopard Percussionists’ awesome performance of Led Zeppelin's classic, “Kashmir” on their xylophones. Tell your friends and family about it so that they can watch and be amazed as well!