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Press Release
May 2009
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Pianafiddle, pianist Lynn Wright and violinist Adam DeGraff, will conduct a workshop with Pocahontas Music’s 3rd, 4th and 5th grade students at Hillsboro Elementary school in Hillsboro, West Virginia. Funded by the National Endowment of the Arts through Pocahontas County Free Libraries, Pianafiddle and the students will explore an improvisational 4-day workshop starting May 26 using traditional, unwritten and spontaneous music. They will teach the students what Pianafiddle does best, the art of improvisation. The students will discover form and technique with collaboration. Pianafiddle and the Pocahontas Music students will culminate this experience with a FREE outdoor concert Friday May 29th @ 6PM on the "Great Lawn" of the Pearl Buck House.
Classically trained on piano since age 4, Wright matured in his hometown of Birmingham, Alabama to be influenced by the old blues players and street musicians resulting in learning and appreciating the art of improvisation. DeGraff also began at age 4 in the Suzuki program in his hometown of Chicago. One of the youngest members of the Civic Orchestra of Chicago, DeGraff eventually came to lead it. As well, he had the opportunity to play and be taught by principal second violinist Joe Golan of the Chicago Symphony which began the path to improvisational playing and later when he hooked up with some amateur blue grass musicians. Curiously DeGraff and Wright autonomously became transplanted West Virginians and it was in West Virginia that they first met and became these glorious musical mavericks.
With no music or art in the school’s curriculum, Pocahontas Music was established in February 2007 as a Pilot Program with Hillsboro’s then 12 third graders by two volunteers, founder Lucinda Tyler and instructor Lois Airgood. The impact of renewed music into this community was huge. Support from local councils through grants allowed Pocahontas Music the following year to grow to include 3rd, 4th and 5th grades. Prior to receiving this Challenge America grant from the NEA, Pocahontas Music also conducted a 3 month music workshop funded by the West Virginia Humanities Council to learn the Origins of Appalachian Music with West Virginia musicians Kate Long and Robin Kessinger.
Everyone is welcome to come experience and hear the result of Pianafiddle exposing the Pocahontas Music students to the wonder and joy of "improv" Friday May 29th @ 6PM
on the "Great Lawn" of the Pearl Buck House.
Contact: Lucinda Tyler, Director
Pocahontas Music
gtfarmwv@frontiernet.net
304-653-2097
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