Is that an elephant, or a bassoon?

Local children may be shocked at how similar the two can sound when the Lake Effect Winds woodwind quintet hold their educational concert during this year’s “Klassics of Kids” class at the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival. Held at 2 p.m. on May 10 inside the festival’s office on Commercial Street, the ensemble will be performing an arrangement of Saint-Saëns’s “The Carnival of the Animals,” a suite of songs featuring melodies that resemble animal calls.

“We’ll talk about the animals that each movement represents,” said Lisa Bubar, who plays bassoon in the group. “Each kid will also get a drawing of the animal, so they’ll have something to follow us along with while we play. They can also color it if they want to.”

The quintet will begin the afternoon by playing a set of short, recognizable songs by legendary classical composers, such as Mozart’s variation of “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star.” The main portion of the concert will be devoted to “The Carnival,” with each movement highlighting the different sounds of the five woodwind and brass instruments in the group.

“We want [children] to come away with a good feel for the five instruments, how they sound, what they look like,” Bubar said.

The class, geared toward children between the ages of 3 and 12, is designed to give the young attendees a greater appreciation of classical music, in a fun environment, Bubar said. Lake Effect Winds have participated in the educational event for the past six years, the bassoonist said.

“They just keeping inviting us back,” Bubar said. “We just love doing it. We’re excited to do it for the kids.”

The quintet itself came together in 1997, when Bubar and other members of the St. Joseph Municipal Band decided to continue playing during the band’s offseason. The group typically performs at weddings, outdoor concerts and other educational events such as high school assemblies, delivering the harmonic sounds of the traditional woodwind quintet to audiences around Southwest Michigan.

“It’s a unique and beautiful sound,” Bubar said. “I don’t think that it’s something people hear everyday, but it’s something they enjoy when they do.”

Bubar was introduced to her instrument at an early age, moving from the saxophone to the bassoon at her music teacher’s recommendation, she said.

“I wasn’t excited about doing it, at first,” she recalled. “However, I just fell in love with the bassoon. Here I am years later, still teaching and playing it.”

It’s that deep passion for classical music that the Bubar hopes she and her fellow musicians can instill in future generations. The quintet already made an impact with one girl, who, after attending their prior performances at the Dogwood Festival, decided to take bassoon lessons from Bubar.

“We’re thrilled about having kids come and possibly play instruments themselves in the future, or at least learn to appreciate classical instruments,” the bassoonist said.

The concert will be held free of charge, though admission will be limited.

For more information, contact the Dogwood Fine Arts Festival at (269) 782-1115 or at mail@dogwoodfinearts.org.