World on a String Concert

This week, a musical trio by the name of World on a String came to Canton, N.Y. for a three-day residency, the highlight of which came on Tuesday Oct. 7 as they had a two-hour performance in Peterson Konami hall. The trio consisted of Paul Meyer on guitar, Leo Traversa on bass, and Vanderlei Pereira on drums. 

Meyer and Pereira first played together back in 1985 and their longevity was apparent during their performance. It felt like each member was a step in front of the other in the smoothest way. Their repertoire ranged from samba to bossa nova to jazz. Many of the songs were written by Meyer with a few covers sprinkled in including a song by Joni Mitchell and The Beatles. The most impressive part of the performance was the group’s ability to fall together on the same beat after several bars of syncopated playing. Another notable detail about the group is that Pereira is blind. The ability to play so fluidly and in sync without visual cues is unfathomably impressive. 

The trio made visits to multiple classes as well and spread their vast musical knowledge to a multitude of students. Meyer even lent his time to individual students and taught private guitar lessons to ensemble members. The trio was generous with their time and humorous as well. Pereira was especially cheery when reminiscing on early gigs with Meyer and how ridiculous it was that he was sent a 3-cent check from Spotify. The group was talented, personable, and very generous and it was a pleasure to have them visit campus.