The nugget., March 23, 2016, Page 9, Image 9

Wednesday, March 23, 2016 The Nugget Newspaper, Sisters, Oregon
9
Students wowed by renowned violinist
By Rongi Yost
Correspondent
The students at Sisters
Elementary School were
mesmerized by the talents of
rock-concert violinist Aaron
Meyer at a special assem-
bly held on Tuesday, March
15. The assembly was made
possible due to Sisters Folk
Festival (SFF).
Sisters Folk Festival is
partnered with the Music
Education Workshop out of
Portland, and they work with
the Oregon Music Hall of
Fame, who connected Brad
Tisdel, creative director of the
SFF, with Meyer.
Meyer is working in a
statewide program that goes
into schools. He demonstrates
the violin, utilizes technology
as a teaching tool, and shares
about the science of sound.
Aaron played original pieces
on both the acoustic and
electric violin, and explained
the difference in violins to
the students. He also played
through electronic pedals
to create different kinds of
sound.
Meyers is a classically
trained violinist and has
played the violin since age
5. Aaron debuted with the
Philadelphia Orchestra at
age 11, and over the course
of his career has soloed with
major international symphony
orchestras, and has performed
for many world leaders and
dignitaries.
He lives in Portland with
his wife, Renee, and per-
forms, teaches, composes
original music and conducts
music education programs
in elementary and middle
schools around the region.
Students were engaged and
attentive and clapped enthu-
siastically after each song.
Third-grade students Holly
Madron and Cooper Merrill
commented on the experience.
Madron said, “I liked
learning about the two
different violins and how they
worked. When he played I
danced to every song because
of the beat and rhythm. They
were fast and it was like a
party.”
Merrill said, “I thought
the assembly was so much
fun. I like how his music was
kind of jumpy. I liked how
he explained things, too, like
how he could repeat notes,
and how he used the fun box
to make notes sound more
electronic.”
Principal Becky Stoughton
said, “Sisters Folk Festival
wrote a grant in partner-
ship with the Sisters School
District, and we’re sup-
posed to model what good
arts/education programming
looks like. We are part of
the Studios (sic) to School
grant and are one of the 18
projects going on around the
state that has been funded
by the Oregon Community
Foundation (OCF).”
Stoughton added, “We’re
photo by brad tisdel
Rock-concert violinist Aaron Meyer played at an elementary school
assembly to demonstrate the instrument and share the science of sound.
trying to open up kids to arts kids to be exposed to such
education, whether it’s visual, talented artists: “Guest artist
musical, or performing arts. opportunities like this provide
We want to give an experi- exposure to music and sci-
ence to the kids that they ence, which inspires kids to
don’t normally get and build dream. Through these Studio
a love for arts, and have them to School grants we plan to
be able to express themselves bring more opportunities like
in different ways.”
this, including developing a
Tisdel shared with The strings program to the Sisters
Nugget what it means for School District.”