Students perform following “Swamp Rock’ fiddle camp

It was the sound of wind, crickets and some young students’ musical debut that filled the room at Southside Elementary.

Students in K-6 grade participated in the “Swamp Rock Fiddle Camp” this past month, culminating in a performance for each grade this week.

Kelly Thibodeaux, a 40-year fiddler from Oregon, taught the classes with an emphasis on the emotional side of music and storytelling, said principal Jacquelyn Johnson.

“I think all students enjoyed trying something new,” she said. “Some of the kids that don’t do well with reading and math, they seem to shine with the music. We got some kids that are pretty talented. And I don’t think they would have shone without this.”

Over the course of four 45-minute classes, students learned the basics of fiddle, as well as Louisiana folklore. Fiddles were provided for students by Thibodeaux, and students ended the music camp with a parent recital.

“It extends learning beyond a three-chord fiddle tune by including historical and cultural information on the instrument itself as well as cultural perspectives of the music,” Johnson wrote in the grant letter. “Louisiana, with its rich and colorful heritage, provides the material and anecdotes utilized in explaining and understanding the music presented.”

Students learned to make different sound effects, such as crickets chirping or the sound of wind, or horses and cows galloping on the fiddle, while Thibodeaux accompanied them on the guitar telling folk tales.

One folk story, Johnson said, was about frogs and the drought, and having to do a “frog dance” to bring the rain.

Students also learned to play to be able to solo perform a three-chord fiddle tune with guitar accompaniment, she said.

In her grant letter, Johnson wrote that Thibodeaux has been teaching for 15 years, and prioritizes accessibility for students.

“Mr. Thibodeaux presents the violin as a folk music instrument and stresses accessibility over perfection, with the main focus being individual achievement,” she wrote. “Everybody learns how to make it work. His entire approach is based on the innate sense of rhythm we are born with. It is a natural part of our physiology. By utilizing this understanding he is able to achieve outstanding results in a very short time.”

The fiddle camp is the second students have done, meaning some students such as sixth-grader Caitlin Tambrill, who was featured as the first student in a video of the 6th-grade performance posted the the school’s Facebook page, were able to build upon their previous knowledge.

In total, roughly a dozen students expressed an interest in continuing their fiddle lessons. Thibodeaux helped connect those students to local musicians, Johnson said.

In addition, she noted in the grant letter, several adults on the teaching staff also expressed an interest in learning to play the fiddle.

“I just appreciate Kelly doing this,” Johnson said. “It’s an eight-hour drive, and he packs 50 fiddles into his car [for the students].”