When I was going to school, we had a library club, a 4-H club, and an art club. But we didn't have what they have here at Leblanc Elementary in Abbeville. They have--- a FIDDLE Club.
“We decided that we wanted to make sure that every student in the school was going to have a cultural experience,” explains Leblanc Elementary’s Madeline DeHart. “And because these older students are not going to experience French for French's sake, we wanted them to be able to experience Cajun music or French music for French music's sake."
Designed with the intent to foster musical enrichment and embrace our cultural heritage, this Abbeville school utilizes two fabulous music education teachers, and two equally talented folk roots music instructors.
One fan of the program is 4th-grader Gilberto Bojquerez Valencia “You can warm up like your fingers and get better; you can learn to use your fingers if you're trying to do a different instrument, too.” 5th-grader Addie Melton likes the new experiences offered by the Fiddle Club. “I joined the Fiddle Club because I thought that it would be cool to learn a new instrument and i wanted to see new people, and i really wanted to learn a new instrument. It felt pretty cool.“
It started with 14 students but now it's at 31. And they weren't forced to join the Filddle Club; they applied. they want to express themselves and embrace the creative aspects of performance arts. With a Cajun influence of course.
“One of those things that you want to offer to students so that they have some kind of connection with those older musicians who speak French on a regular basis,” adds DeHart, “and this is just our opportunity to maybe mingle and weave in our love of French music with their love of French music.”
------------------------------------------------------------
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere.
To reach the newsroom or report a typo/correction, click HERE.
Sign up for newsletters emailed to your inbox. Select from these options: Breaking News, Evening News Headlines, Latest COVID-19 Headlines, Morning News Headlines, Special Offers
