The three Canadian folk musicians used their feet to keep the beat with a hollow box that captured the sound and projected it to the audience. Vishten’s foot percussion was an intriguing sight to watch because it created a rich sound that captivated listeners on campus March 27.

The box made the sound louder and more precise.

The sound resonated in the theater and essentially took the place of a drum set that helped the audience along with the musicians keep the rhythm of each piece.

OCCC’s Cultural Arts Program hosted Vishten in the Bruce Owen Theater.

Twin sisters Pastelle and Emmanuelle LeBlanc and fellow musician Pascal Miousse are originally from the east coast of Canada. The LeBlanc sisters are from Prince Edward Island which has “little pockets of French speaking people,” said Pastelle.

Miousse is from Magdelen Island. “That is made up of 95 percent French speaking people,” he said.

The sisters meet Miousse about eight years ago and instantly hit it off with their mutual connection to French Acadian music.

The dynamic trio not only played instruments and sang but also danced as well. It appeared to be a Celtic or Irish type of dance that the sisters performed.

Pastelle played the accordion, piano, foot percussion and sang. Emmanuelle played the whistle, bodhran, jaw harp, piano, foot percussion and sang as well. Pascal played the fiddle, guitar and was the third vocalist.

Vishten has become a powerful and distinguished international group that connects to audiences of all types. They keep the audience entertained and alive by asking them to repeat phrases in French and clap their hands.

“I love how they are upbeat and they include the audience,” said OCCC freshman Danielle Hardin.

The audience really enjoyed the interaction of the call-and-response technique. People of all ages were stomping to the beat, clapping their hands, whistling along and dancing at their seats.

Vishten has already recorded and released three albums and they are currently working on their fourth album, Mosaik.

Another freshman, Kristin Carpenter, said she liked their sound.

“It’s great to hear music from different cultures other than what’s normal to us.”

The next offering in the Cultural Arts series will be the Tulsa Ballet II performing at 7 p.m. Tuesday, April 17, in the Bruce Owen Theater.

To contact Meredith Hudson, email onlineeditor@occc.edu.