Appalachian Fiddle and Bluegrass Association
Children’s Program
It is a pleasure to introduce the AFBA Children’s Program. In coordinating the workshop stage for the AFBA Festival in 2005, a children’s show became an integral part of our workshops. Knowing that as the program grows each year we would be able to offer more and more to youth’s interested in music. It is through awareness, exposure and subsequent involvement in Bluegrass by the youth of today that will assure this folk music, an important part of our American heritage, remains alive in the future. Music is a very positive force in the growth of children, and what better way to get them involved than the wholesome family atmosphere of a bluegrass festival.
The committee devoted to the children’s program brings experience in working with children in many different ways; leisure education with preschool age; after school programs, elementary school projects, summer camps, festival and fairs programs for children and a strong desire to provide a wholesome environment for them to learn about old time music. The founder of the program is a musician and has been involved in various music enrichment programs for schools and music festivals for more than ten years, playing guitar and singing, using various other fun and unusual instruments, through skits, story, song and interaction with hands on participation, adapting each show for the appropriate age and venue, sharing the joy of music. Each year other artists and musicians are asked to join in the music presentation part of our program at the AFBA annual festival. Many talented people are willing to share their skill and craft with children.
The AFBA children’s program began in 2005 by offering a two hour (Sat. morning of the festival) event, encouraging parents to come along and be involved. Activities and music was planned to offer fun for all ages. Older children were asked to help the younger children. The first hour was music oriented crafts using recycled materials and show hats were made, that could provide them shade in the hot summer bluegrass audience. They were a big hit and inadvertently became a great public awareness of the children’s program. The second hour was fun songs and a sing-along. There were many percussive instruments for the children to handle and play, which tied in with one of the craft projects. A child size guitar and other hand size instruments for them to explore, were offered as well. The musicians invited to perform for the children played various instruments and talked about the instrument they were playing. Banjo, Guitar, Fiddle, Banjo-Uke, Mandolin, Bass Fiddle, Autoharp, Jaws Harp and Voice.
The songs were a complementary blend of Old time and Bluegrass. The children were taught to play spoons and encouraged to use the shakers they had made to learn to keep time. The morning of fun with bluegrass music was a big success, and even included a visit by Smokey the Bear to introduce environmental concern. Children of all ages (even many adult kids) attended and each child had souvenirs they made and a few give-aways to take home, as well as the memories and what they had learned about music and bluegrass. A great time was had by all. The activities offered have grown now to include a wild flower stomp, rock painting to border flower gardens to help beautify our park, scavenger hunts that include items from musician and auto graphs, etc. to give the children an opportunity to meet the people who play the music they are being exposed to and word games using bluegrass music terminology, crafts, games and more.
In addition to the children’s program, many of the other workshops are attended by youth’s, and a teen jam hosted by teen and young adult musicians who perform professionally was planned. We hope to continue this with ideas to expand on the teen program also. The AFBA has made it an important part of the organization to offer a scholarship to youths who wish to learn a bluegrass style instrument. Last years’ recipient was a participant in one of our workshops, as her teacher also taught our fiddle workshop. She performed on stage at an evening show, with the family band her teacher was in, and has since recorded her own CD and performs in her locality. It is our goal to provide this learning opportunity to several students each year. In addition to the scholarship program that provides professional music teachers, we are now implementing a "Kids Academy" to be offered at our festivals as well, where the participants as a group will perform what they have learned on stage. We are very excited to be offering these opportunities to youths, of learning bluegrass music in the many years to come. We are actively seeking grants, donations and sponsorships for all the things we do to keep children involved and enjoying bluegrass music.
Through good planning and preparedness, and accepting the help of qualified individuals who are willing to help in what ever area they have experience and expertise, our children’s program will only get better and offer more as time goes on. There are so many ideas, suggestions and plans to expand upon in bringing bluegrass music into the hearts of children.
2/12/05 – revised 9/10/07 slm
|
|
|
|
|
