THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1996, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, June 27, 1996 TAG: 9606270375
SECTION: LOCAL PAGE: B1 EDITION: NORTH CAROLINA
SOURCE: BY JENNIFER MCMENAMIN, STAFF WRITER
DATELINE: COLINGTON LENGTH: 77 lines
After traveling in Russia and the Ukraine for two weeks with nearly 100 Russian musicians and educators, Lynda Wood returned with more than her luggage.
The First Flight Elementary School teacher brought back a full bag of photographs, preserving memories of musicians she heard, people she met and sights she saw.
She brought back new ideas of what makes an ideal school and a perfect principal, gleaned from seminars at the International Leadership Conference.
And she brought back plans for an internationally acclaimed Russian folk group to visit the Outer Banks in its Eastern sweep of the United States next month.
``I hope the community will be enriched culturally,'' Wood said Thursday in her Colington Harbour home, overlooking Kitty Hawk Bay. ``It will also be a wonderful educational experience for the kids.''
Joining the four members of the group Tostonado will be the Russian director of the Russia & West Virginia Foundation and three gifted Russian music students, who will perform a recital for local music students in an Outer Banks church.
``This is a chance for them to see how music affects the rest of the world and how far they can go if they practice,'' said Kill Devil Hills piano teacher Debbie Calvino. ``It's not very often that they get to hear something as extraordinary as this.''
The Russian students are in Hampton writing music with Americans for space station Mir. The group plans to record a CD of their world-peace-inspired music.
From July 14 to 17, the eight-member Russian delegation will tour the Outer Banks, cramming in visits to the Lost Colony, the Elizabethan Gardens, the North Carolina Aquarium on Roanoke Island, the Weeping Radish restaurant and microbrewery, the Wright Brothers Memorial and Jockey's Ridge. They also will kayak and sail in Manteo and spend a day on the beach with boogie boards ``doing Outer Banks stuff,'' Wood said.
Myles, Wood's 5-year-old son, said he is looking forward to the Russians' visit.
``I want them to see how pretty the water is in the sound and see the sunset and see all the boats and see animals, fish, everything.
``And I would like them to see my mom's pretty dresses and taste how her food is and see our toys and how our music is.''
In between the sightseeing and taste-testing, the four members of Tostonado will perform in the Holiday Inn on July 14 and at the Sunset Festival at Pirate's Cove on July 17.
Wearing traditional Russian costumes, the group will use 10 different traditional instruments to breathe life into Russian folk music. Despite Old World connotations of the word ``traditional,'' Wood said the group's music is ``real up-beat and peppy.''
``The music is of the highest quality. It's probably comparable to a real popular jazz group in the U.S. They all put a lot of energy and movement and audience involvement into the show,'' she said, imitating the animated arm movements of singer Tatiana Khokhlova. ``They are just a treat.'' ILLUSTRATION: Color Photo
DREW C. WILSON/The Virginian-Pilot
Lynda Wood of Colington is helping to organize an Outer Banks tour
for four members of the folk group Tostonado and four other Russian
visitors.
Graphic
TOUR EXPENSES
As part of the deal to bring the Russian musicians through the
Outer Banks, Lynda Wood must raise money to pay for a stipend and
part of the group's $14,000 airfare. Although local businesses and
community members have been extremely supportive - donating meals,
homes and hotel space for the performance - Wood still needs
donations to cover added expenses.
For more information on the performances or to help finance this
visit, contact Lynda Wood at 441-1171 (after July 7) or George
Wood's secretary at 441-0239. by CNB