Our visit with the Carolina Chocolate Drops!

Carolina Chocolate Drops performing - the view from where we were

 Last Thursday night, Bryant University invited RI Fiddle Project students and Fiddle Lab students from Community MusicWorks to come see a performance of the grammy-award-winning Carolina Chocolate Drops.  The university didn't stop there...they set up a pre-concert Q&A session for our students with "The Drops", a walk back-stage, and reserved seats right up front!  Many thanks to the gracious performers for answering our questions and to Tracie, Carol and the whole Public Relations office at Bryant.  

Lilyanna, Ashley & Maria with "The Drops"! Photo: Pamela Murray

Here were some of our students' favorite parts of the night:

• I liked when we met them - they were funny.
• When they played Snowden's Jig
• The kazoo -- I want to learn to do that!
• I especially liked when Rhiannon was singing Irish [mouth music] and Adam was beat-boxing.

Mardi Gras masks, fiddling, dance & cupcakes

Mardi Gras at RI Fiddle Project was a small but spirited celebration, complete with handmade masks, sparkly decorations, and cupcakes with bright purple, green & gold frosting.

 Michelle's Magnolia band members Martin Grosswendt, Alan Bradbury performed for and with Fiddle Project students.  Then we danced some two-steps and waltzes, along with some improvisatory 'freeze dance', too!  

 

On April 2nd, we'll visit and perform at one of Magnolia's dances.  

And tonight, it's the trip we've all been waiting for: we're taking a bus to Bryant University to hear the Carolina Chocolate Drops!

what if Culture Stops?

What if fiddling, community dance, sharing tunes, performance,  jamming, improvisation, and musical traditions STOPPED?

What is "Culture Stops"? (see much more at this link to the site!)

On Thursday, March 10th, 2011, Culture Stops! will ask you to imagine a world where writers put down their pens and artists put down their paints. Where architects stop designing our cities and poets, dancers and sculptors stop teaching our children. Where our national landmarks fall into decay. Where debate is no longer fostered in our universities, or on our radio dials. Where our symphony halls fall silent and our libraries go dark. Where our collective history is left unmade and unwritten.

'artsmarts': why cutting arts funding is not a good idea (article)

Visit to Learning Community Charter School in Central Falls

Michelle and Rachel got to play for the first "Chew & Swallow LIVE" at the Learning Community Charter School (that's the time during lunch when students typically stop talking, listen to recorded music, and eat their food! this time it was a little different...)

house concert video clip

Fiddle Project is on

Facebook.
You can sigh, you can cheer,
but in either case, if You're also on Facebook,
you can be one of the first to like the RI Fiddle Project here. 

NEA

In 2010, RI Fiddle Project programming was made possible in part by a grant from the Rhode Island State Council on the Arts, through an appropriation by the Rhode Island General Assembly and a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts.  Now there are serious challenges to future NEA funding.  Below there's a link where you can send an automated or personalized email to your elected representative about this.

02/15/11 Amendments Introduced to Reduce/Eliminate NEA Funding

Two amendments have been introduced relating to the funding bill for FY 2011 currently being debated on the House floor that would further cut/eliminate funding for the National Endowment for the Arts.  The first amendment offered by Rep. Garrett (R-NJ) would zero out funding for the NEA completely;  the second amendment of concern is offered by Rep. Walberg (R-MI) and would reduce funding for the NEA by a further $20.5 million. Write your Representative and tell him/her to vote against these amendments. 

Click here to respond to this Arts Action Alert   (through Americans for the Arts)