January 26, 2005
Students get the blues
TC High students learn from legendary harmonica player
By
Herald staff writer
Students at Traverse City High School have got the blues - and they want everyone to know it.
Last week 25 students at Traverse City's alternative high school had the opportunity to learn how to play blues harmonica from legendary musician Billy Branch. Branch, who appeared with his band, Sons of Blues on stage at Northwestern Michigan College's Dennos Museum Center Saturday, even invited the group to play a tune or two during his concert. The students performed under the stage name, "The Bad Mamma Jamma's".
Branch, who has been sharing his love of the blues with students for more than 20 years, visited the high school as part of his Blues in the Schools program.
"I enjoy working with the kids, some whose lives have really been changed by introducing them to music. Some of them stick with it for years," Branch said.
Budding blues artists at Traverse City High School feel lucky to have had the opportunity to learn from a master.
"I think this is really a great opportunity. Most every other type of music came from the blues," said student Cyndy Martindale who had never played any type of musical instrument before.
Most of emerging mouth harp players, like Martindale, had little or no musical background. However, they all shared a desire to play.
"This has been an easy way for kids to learn an instrument. Music was one thing that was really lacking in our curriculum, and something they wanted. We are finding there are a lot of musicians in here," said Marco Dedenbach, Community Learning Center coordinator at the high school.
"None of these kids had any experience playing the harmonica, but they are really getting it. Some of them even came in on their snow day to practice with Billy," Dedenbach noted.