American Roots Music Entertains Island Youth
By Leslie Rott

Riley Chaffee enjoys playing the ukulele.

Mackinac Island Public School students learned Friday, May 12, that even they can learn how to play American Roots Music as long as they know the basic cords and technique. They were able to participate in a variety of interactive workshops and learned not only about the history of various instruments, including the mandolin, fiddle, banjo, and ukulele, but how to play them.

Students also learned about making music with their feet during a demonstration on step-dancing.

The program was conducted in a "mini-festival format," according to Blissfest Music Organization Executive Director Jim Gillespie, and ended with a concert and dance performance.

"We focus on preserving American Roots music," Mr. Gillespie said, which is a combination of the musical genres of blues, gospel, traditional country, zydeco, tejano, and native American pow-wow.

Mr. Gillespie described Mackinac Island Public School as being "almost like a one room school" and said that the interaction between the grades made the program exciting and unique. He had never before conducted a program which included kindergarten through twelfth grade.

The goal of the program, Mr. Gillespie said, was to get the children to appreciate their cultural heritage through music and to understand that all it takes to learn how to play an instrument is repetition and discipline.

"It's great entertainment, it's great relaxation," he added.

In the past several years, since the Mackinac Arts Council started the Music in the Schools program, classical music has been performed for students. This year, however, the Arts Council wanted to give the children a different experience, according to Carrie Kaminen, the assistant director.

The Mackinac Arts Council received a grant from the Mackinac Island Community Foundation to fund the program.

The Blissfest Music Organization is a nonprofit educational

and performing arts organization from Emmet County. It was established in 1981 and produces the annual Blissfest music festival in Cross Village.