Spiderhorse & Caleb Teicher @ PS 48Q
June 12, 2024
The auditorium was buzzing with chatter and excitement as students at PS 48Q awaited the start of their Celebrate! Music concert. This performance was an extra special one, as Chris Celiz from beat boxing duo SPIDERHORSE was being joined by Caleb Teicher, renowned dancer and choreographer.
Suddenly, the students began to get quiet. They can hear the sound of tap shoes emerging, but where is it coming from? They scan the room to find out. Just as quickly as the sound grew, Caleb leaps onto stage setting off an audible gasp from the audience. He moved so effortlessly as he glided through the hall making the most impressive rhythmic sounds from his feet. What happened next was any teacher’s dream. Without using any words, Caleb was able to communicate with the students and engage them in a call and response. He would tap the rhythms using his feet and somehow the students knew to repeat the patterns.
After this incredible opening, Chris joined Caleb on stage for their first song together- Caleb tapping and Chris beatboxing. It was truly amazing to witness the different musical sounds that this unlikely duo was able to create together. They covered the rhythm, harmony, melody, drums, and bass using only their bodies and voices. The sound so big and full that the students never stopped dancing along and bobbing their heads.
A highlight of any SPIDERHORSE concert is the student- teacher participation, and PS 48Q was no exception. Caleb and Chris separated the audience into two sections. One for dancing and body percussion, and the other for beat boxing. With Chris’s lead, students explored some of the standard beatboxing sounds like hi-hat, snare, and bass; all mimicking percussion instruments. On the dancing side, led by Caleb, students used stomping, clapping, and snapping to recreate different rhythmical patterns. Once the two sides learned their part, they joined together to create one huge piece of music.
This collaboration between SPIDERHORSE and Caleb Teicher will be the start of many more to come. You can always tell how a concert went by looking at the students as they leave. In this case, the students exited with smiles while dancing, beatboxing, and asking each other “How on earth did they do that?!”. This concert left the students feeling inspired, and that they can be musicians too, regardless of whether they own an instrument. Thank you to Chris and Caleb for sharing your art and passion with the students at PS 48Q. Enjoy the clip below!
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