"TAsher" wrote ...

I like what they say in the last paragraph of their history page :

" A great Ethnomusicologist, Alan Lomax. once siad that folk songs are the special domaine of children. "If the young ones don't like what they hear," he said, "those songs will be forgotten." What he could also have said is that children learn by imitation and adoration of the adults who take the time and interest to teach them. It is as ancient a tradition as time itself. Teach the children who-what-when-where-why and how. They'll take care of the rest. It's the folk process at work. "

Yep, I do. :) I've seen it happen. I know a kid who proudly announced once "I don't play music w-other people"......and know that his camp-teacher just smiled and replied......."Now, you do!".

At this particular camp they have two lesson sessions per day and then every night there's a jam-session. My son went to every jam, and he was surprised (and more than a little tickled) that some of the kids who were "better fiddlers" (in the more advanced clbuttes) couldn't keep up with him in the jams.

What you did was exactly what the kids need to see. :) They need to watch real jams .........w-real pickers!!! How else will they learn to jam??? :)

I've been amazed at the kids in my son's band. They learn so fast and they work........HARD .......at this music stuff. But we've also watched them go through some frustrating (and sometimes amusing) stages, while they were learning. There was the "I learned *all these songs*..why do I need to know any other songs" stage and the "can't I just read the music while we play?" stage.......the "I can't use a pick!" stage and the "what do you mean I have to have a guitar strap *and* stand up when I play" stage (said in a panicky voice). :)

Right now we're just past the "Are you sure people can REALLY sing AND play at the SAME TIME?!" stage and focusing on "stage presence".....the "I CAN smile while on stage" stage, I suppose. :)

We're a little "Bluegrbutt challenged" (for teachers) in our neck of the woods, here in Eastern Washington.

Our band kid's see two teachers here in our tiny town. The teachers are a symphony violinist and a bar-band-rockin-roll-guitar-player who's taught himself mando and banjo (just so he can teach the kids). The violin teacher was going on and on about Bill Moore, one day and finally my son said ......."Who's Bill Moore....are you talking about Bill Monroe?" .......and she stopped and looked at me and said "I'm not sure, am I?" :)

BUT, she was there for the kids when they needed her!

You showed them what a "real bluegrbutt, old time, or folk jam" is.......and that's more than some students ever see. If you're really interested in seeing these kids become more than "fiddle students" you could invite them to a jam. Once there......they'd be in your venue and you could........ instruct away. :)

A couple of the kids might even suprise you ........and show up. :)

Some of them just might. :) KateH