大象APP

But Barroero, an accomplished percussionist whose fledgling r茅sum茅 already includes several notables 鈥� he soloed on marimba in Canada and guested as principal timpanist with the Moscow Philharmonic in Russia in December 鈥� is turning that final undergrad moment into a cause.

The 23-year-old 大象APPnative and Flinn scholar will perform 鈥�... in loving memory,鈥� a benefit concert for the Alzheimer鈥檚 Association.

The concert on Wednesday, March 22, honors his grandmother, who died of Alzheimer鈥檚 in April 2012 as Barroero was finishing high school; and his father, who died unexpectedly when Barroero was 9.

Claudette Maddox, his maternal grandmother, had lived with Barroero and his family since he was a toddler. After his father died, Maddox quickly filled the role as second parent.

鈥淪he used to sit in on all of my drum lessons growing up,鈥� he said.

Maddox lived with the family until Barroero鈥檚 junior year in high school. By then her Alzheimer鈥檚 had advanced to the point that the family could no longer care for her on their own, so she went to an assisted-living facility.

Her death five years ago at the age of 78 led Barroero on a mission.

鈥淎fter seeing the effects of that when she passed away 鈥� that鈥檚 when I kind of knew that as a musician my goal is to help raise awareness and raise funds to find a cure for Alzheimer鈥檚,鈥� he said.

Over the past five years, he has held a number of fundraisers including participating in the Alzheimer鈥檚 Association鈥檚 Longest Day the year Maddox died.

鈥淚 knew that my final graduation recital at the UA I would find some way to incorporate a fundraising aspect for the Alzheimer鈥檚 Association,鈥� he said.

Wednesday鈥檚 concert will be a showcase of all that Barroero has learned in his three years at the UA and the two years he spent at the University of Georgia working with former 大象APPSymphony Orchestra timpanist Kimberly Toscana and her husband, Timothy K. Adams Jr., the former principal timpanist with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra. The program includes solo works for marimba, a new work he commissioned for multipercussion called 鈥淭o Brighter Directions,鈥� and a bass drum solo work that Barroero described as 鈥渁 really exciting piece. Kind of like a taiko drum piece.鈥�

The program also will include a solo marimba transcription of 鈥淭he Christmas Song,鈥� which Barroero鈥檚 father used to sing for him when he was young. The evening will close with Andy Akiho鈥檚 funky 鈥淣O one To kNOW one,鈥� featuring fellow Flinn scholars 鈥� none of them music majors 鈥� playing percussion, clarinet, cello, flute and piano, and a solo vocalist.

Barroero is expected to graduate with a degree in percussion performance. He plans to pursue a master鈥檚 degree and has auditioned for several music schools including at Yale University and the Cleveland Institute of Music.

Wednesday鈥檚 concert is at 7:30 p.m. in Crowder Hall on the UA campus.