Fiddle Scouts Provides Musical Fun for Children

Singing, drumming, and music, oh my! Once a month, at the MSU Community Music School in East Lansing, the Ten Pound Fiddle hosts a children’s music workshop called Fiddle Scouts. There are music options for kids of all ages: a 0-5 year-old group, a 6-12 group, and a jamboree for pre-teens and teens who already know how to play an instrument.

This is the 3rd season of Fiddle Scouts, which usually meets on the second Saturday of the month at 10am. The workshop series was started to "Help introduce the next generation of kids to folk music", says Sally Potter, a Ten Pound Fiddle board member. "By offering an affordable and varied program, we can reach a lot of kids in the community. The name reflects what the Wheatland Music Organization has already been doing for years with their "Wheat Scouts" program for kids. We wanted something like that for the Greater Lansing community, and the Ten Pound Fiddle was in the position to make it happen."

Fiddle Scouts hires local and regional musicians to provide workshops for the children around various musical instruments and topics. Recent participants have included Juno Award winners The Sultans of String, local singer songwriter Dave Boutette. It is funded through donations at the door and with additional support from the Ten Pound Fiddle's annual used CD sale. Partnering with the MSU Community Music School has been an added bonus with their beautifully renovated facility just on the edge of the MSU campus. Fiddle Scouts has connected with MSU in additional ways by become a Community Partner for MSU's Freshman writing class and by having student volunteers help create promotional materials for the program.

Fiddle Scouts will next meet on Saturday, November 8. Carrie Quisenberry will lead a program of interactive songs and games. No registration or previous musical experience is necessary to participate in the Fiddle Scouts program. The fun is really for all ages!

Photos courtesy of The Ten Pound Fiddle

Tamiko Rothhorn is the coordinator of the Fiddle Scouts program.

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