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Tucker Valley Elementary Middle School Receives Grant

Tucker Valley Elementary Middle School is in the process of developing a Bluegrass Music Lab to bring bluegrass music to students. The Bluegrass Music Lab will be implemented in the Fall 2006 semester to not only teach students to sing and play traditional folk music on bluegrass instruments, but also to teach the history behind the music movement that is part of the Appalachian heritage.

Approximately 70 seventh-graders will be exposed to the lab during classroom instruction, while the lab band would be comprised of anyone from the middle school or high school for an afternoon program. Students who participate in the course will receive instruction on banjo, mandolin, guitar, and upright bass, as well as lead and harmony vocals. The students will also learn about the culture, history, and music of bluegrass. Additionally, students who complete the course will gain membership into the International Bluegrass Music Association.

One long-term goal of the for the Bluegrass Music Lab is to host a Bluegrass Festival for the Tucker Valley student body, giving students the opportunity to perform their newly acquired musical skills and encouraging other students to participate in the program. Finally, preliminary steps have been taken to form a partnership between Tucker Valley Elementary Middle School and the August Heritage Foundation to support the study and development of bluegrass music and Appalachian culture.

The Mollohan Family Foundation awarded Tucker Valley Elementary Middle School a $500 mini-grant to support their bluegrass music endeavor. In particular, the grant will be used to purchase support materials and music for the Bluegrass Music Lab.

For more information about the Tucker Valley Elementary Middle School Bluegrass Music Lab, please contact Joyce Carrico or Heather Mullenax at (304)-478-3606 or visit http://www.tuckercountyschools.com.