Luke Vandergriff

0.62 mile

Pepito & The Trash Cans: a bilingual, musical story about a boy in Bolivia who dreams of playing music with his siblings but scarcity and misfortune stand in his way. Eventually, he overcomes by making instruments out of bottles, cans, and other upcycled materials.

Pepito & The Trash Cans: a bilingual, musical story about a boy in Bolivia who dreams of playing music with his siblings but scarcity and misfortune stand in his way. Eventually, he overcomes by making instruments out of bottles, cans, and other upcycled materials.

Spanish: Can be told in English or Spanish, however, it's usually performed in Spanglish. Luke teaches the audience a few words in Spanish and proceeds to tell the story in English while using the vocabulary repeatedly in context throughout the story.

Music: The audience will watch and hear Luke playing his homemade instruments all throughout the story, with an epic grand finale.

Creativity: Hearing the story and seeing Luke's instruments made from upcycled materials inspires the audience to go home and make something with their own hands.

Social-Emotional Learning: This is a story about resilience while pursuing your dreams. The audience will be encouraged to keep their heads up, be thankful for what they have, and believe that everything works out for the good.

Environmentally Friendly: Luke's usage of bottles, cans, old furniture, and other upcycled materials as instruments encourages the audience to reuse and repurpose.

To inspire creativity, spark passion and purpose, to raise self-esteem and help the younger generations step into their full potential.

This performance was initially written in Bolivia to be performed at children's homes, however, the pandemic put the project on hold. Luke began to bring the story back to life in English in 2023, performing in schools, libraries, theaters, and festivals. As of 2024, Pepito & The Trash Cans is a part of the Artist In Schools program organized by the United Arts Council of Wake County.