By Jane Kwiatkowski Radlich -Buffalo News
David Peita, left, and Braden Kwasniewski perform with Carnival Kids Steel Orchestra during spring break in Key West, Fla.
At one point during this busy concert season, Lancaster's Carnival Kids Steel Orchestra performed 12 shows in 12 days, said longtime music teacher Ken Kowalski.
The orchestra, an extra-curricular organization for Lancaster middle and high school students, is heading for one of its biggest performances of the summer. "Seniors Send-Off" will bid farewell to band members from the Class of 2017 during a free concert from 7 to 8:45 p.m. July 31 at the Richard E. Pascucci Bandshell , 200 Oxford in Lancaster. Those attending should bring a lawn chair.
This Thursday, the band will help Depew mark Founder's Day with a concert from 6 to 7:45 p.m. at Veterans Park on Terrace Boulevard. Expect a special appearance by food trucks.
Thirty-one students including 25 steel drummers make the music for this band that throws Ozzy Osbourne and Johnny Cash in with the traditional island sounds. Some musicians play up to six drums, said Kowalski. When not playing gigs in Western New York, the orchestra takes their music on the road. Last summer they played at the Grand Ol' Opry in Nashville. The equipment is transported in a trailer that the students load and unload. The orchestra is about to release its sixth CD, "Steel Your Heart."
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