Southside Elementary students experience week-long fiddle residency
June 10, 2026
By Reader Staff
Southside Elementary students explored a new style of music with the Fiddle Camp Program, a special, weeklong fiddle residency taught by traveling musician and educator Kelly Thibodeaux. Children in Kindergarten through sixth grade participated in daily 45-minute lessons, learning the fundamentals of rhythm, tempo and dynamics, culminating in a final performance for families and classmates.
Partners in Education funded the program, which brought dozens of violins to campus and gave students the opportunity to experience fiddle-style playing in an engaging, hands-on setting.
“Seeing our students’ faces light up the moment they picked up the violins was magical,” said Southside Elementary Principal Jenny Smith. “This program gave our kids the freedom to try something new, build incredible confidence, and discover the pure joy of making music together. We are so proud of them.”
Kelly Thibodeaux works with Southside students. Courtesy photo
Thibodeaux is a Louisiana-born musician who has spent more than 20 years bringing his fiddle program to schools across the Northwest. Based in Oregon, he travels with nearly 60 violins in a variety of sizes so students of all grade levels can participate. His residency condenses what he describes as a “six-week string program into four days,” giving students the chance to build confidence while learning the basics of fiddle playing.
“I’m basically teaching the kids how to play like me,” Thibodeaux said. “My whole method is based on rhythm and groove, so it goes very quickly. The fiddle is an incredibly expressive instrument. It can laugh, sing, talk and tell stories.”
The residency ran alongside the school’s year-round music program, which teaches kindergarten through second-grade students singing and musical games; third-graders folk dance; fourth-graders recorders; fifth-graders ukulele; and sixth-graders beginning band, including trumpet, flute or clarinet.
Learn more about Thibodeaux and his programs at etouffee.com.
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