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MIDDLETOWN – The students at Coyote Valley and Cobb Elementary Schools recently were treated to a "String Day" music assembly recently, presented by Clear Lake Performing Arts (CLPA) and the Konocti Fiddle Club.
It was the second in a series demonstrating stringed instruments for elementary students.
As state funding for school music programs dwindles, CLPS has stepped in to bring music into schools under their Youth Educational Programs activities, chaired by Andi Skelton who is also founder and director of the Konocti Fiddle Club.
Susan Condit, a teacher at Lower Lake Elementary, has helped Skelton spearhead the project, which they hope to expand into other schools in the future.
The show is unique in that it combines both adults and kids as demonstrators. As an example, youthful string players allow other kids to connect directly with them and their instruments.
The youngest Fiddle Club members, Nina Jekel and Dimitri Imbrunetti, proudly showed their little instruments to the students, and explained that they could start playing the fiddle right away.
"We hope to get the students excited about the possibility of making music like them," Skelton said. "We talk about different musical styles and make sure we play recognizeable songs like the themes from 'Jaws' and 'Star Wars' that they all know, which establishes an immediate connection. We also ask them to join us with singing, or hand-clapping which establishes another connection."
Condit roamed the room with a handheld microphone asking questions and involving the students. She explained the four instruments in the orchestra's string family – violin, viola, cello, upright bass – what they were made of and their names.
The group then played different styles ranging from classical to blues, to old-time fiddling, including a version of “Old McDonald's Farm,” with the musicians using their instruments to imitate the farm animals.
Edison Serena took the lead in a twin-fiddle demonstration, while Elliott Serena demonstrated the mandolin, Lars Tisell the Irish tenor banjo and Edison Serena again with the banjo-ukelele.
The students learned that all of these instruments are tuned like the fiddle and therefore if they learned the fiddle they could easily play them all.
Demonstrations were also made on the guitar, pennywhistle, accordian, bodhran (Irish drum), washtub bass and washboard – along with a bit of history about their uses long ago.
As a finale all the Fiddle Club members joined in playing a set using all the instruments, with solo parts by the young players.
Other participants were Clayton Rudiger, Brooke Taliafero, Annie Perez, Erin Call, Patricia Jekel, Greg Bushta, Deni Hagy, Scott Serena and Mark Rudiger.
Players helping to plan the event and providing sound equipment were Austin and Jeanine Ison, and former CLPA scholarship recipient Eleanor Cook.
The next CLPA Youth Music Program will take place on Sunday, June 14, when the CLPA Youth Orchestra will perform in concert under the direction of Wes Follett at the Kelseyville Presbyterian Church's Friendship Hall at 6 p.m.
According to Skelton, the group has been working for months on a varied program which they hope will attract widespread support from their communities.
For more information visit www.clearlakeperformingarts.com .
