Eastbayri.com

WESTPORT — It was a step out of the norm for Concerts at the Point – the lead singer leaped off the stage and ran through the crowd, playing his guitar above his head and around his back.

The crowd went wild, clapping their hands and erupting in cheers.

This was not a traditional Concert at the Point, however. It was elementary students who were creating such an uproar on Friday, Jan. 13, and the performers were an educational band.

The concert, performed by Roots Music Collective, was put on by the non-profit organization as part of its educational outreach program and explored how American music was formed and evolved.

Better known for its 15 years offering a classical and chamber music series at the United Methodist Church at Westport Point, Concerts at the Point’s educational program is in its ninth season.

In the past, concerts all had a classical tie, including brass, wind, and string performers, some of whom also perform in the adult concert series, said Barbara Faria, the education outreach coordinator.

The roots concert “is a bit of a departure, but not a radical one,” she said. The program fit better into elementary music specialist Marlo Dennis’s curriculum this year than a classical concert, and “we would like to accommodate the teachers requests.”

The band performed “The Roots of American Music” three times in Westport — twice at the Westport Elementary School and once at the Montessori School of the Angels.

The program took students from the work songs and spirituals sung by slaves, the first truly American music, to their evolved genres of country, funk, and rock.

Lead singer/guitarist Crick Diefendorf, bassist Dan Fox, and drummer Steve Langone took the students from one genre to the next, moving seamlessly between them while quizzing the kids on artists, instruments, and more.

“The King — who is the King?” asked Mr. Diefendorf.

“Elvis!” responded the students.

“What was he the king of?”

“Rock and roll,” came the reply.

Concerts at the Point volunteer Walter Brown has attended his share of these programs in the past year and a half, but he said this one was unique.

“Kids are generally enthusiastic, but this one really got them going,” he said.

Next up on the educational program roster are concerts in March at the middle school, Montessori School, and Macomber Primary, but Point volunteers are still discussing options with the Fall River School District.

Sandy Kiefer will perform “The Talking Cello” at Macomber and the Montessori School, using a cello to tell a story that is created with the help of students.

Pulling double duty by performing both in the schools and as part of the Concerts at the Point series, pianist Frederick Moyer will explore with middle school students the connection between classical and jazz.

Education at core of Point series

From its inception in 1997, education has been part of the Concerts at the Point music series, though the educational outreach program was not officially established until six years later.

Over the years it has taken many forms.

It began as a much smaller program, serving Westport, Little Compton, and Tiverton, said Ms. Faria. Performers included community artists, New Bedford Symphony musicians, and Tiverton High School students.

The 9-member executive board and handful of volunteers “had to make decisions about geography” and pulled back from performing in Tiverton, she said.

“We were trying to contact the school districts that support our concert series,” she said.

The program’s $5,000-$6,000 budget is completely funded by donations (”The community has been incredibly supportive of all this”) and grants, most notably from the Massachusetts Cultural Foundation and the Westport Point Neighborhood Association.

They have to make the money stretch — it can be quite expensive transporting artists down from Boston and elsewhere — so they try to book as many school concerts a day as they can, she said.

When the program’s original coordinator left to bring music programs exclusively to Wilbur-McMahon School in Little Compton, the Concerts board refocused their attentions to Fall River schools, where they reach several schools each year with performances.

They try to use the same performers from the five-concert classical music series as much as possible.

“Given the opportunity I think they really love getting into the schools,” she said.

But when it’s not feasible, performers are often chosen through Young Audiences of Massachusetts, through which the roots performers and “Talking Cello” were obtained.

Even when not part of the outreach program, the board has coordinated with students many times over the years, featuring them in showcases and even repeatedly booking Boston University Opera Institute students.

Ms. Faria said they have worked hard to establish such ties with local schools and that the outreach program “serves a great purpose” in a time when many music programs nationwide are being cut.

The music teachers are “remarkable” in their part of organizing the events, she said.

In the future, she said they are interested in reconnecting with New Bedford Symphony school-based programs and to continue offering the best both in schools and in the concert series.