Finn-Am Jam helps bring Kantele Kids to Naselle School concerts

Published 4:27 am Friday, May 9, 2008

NASELLE, Wash. – Finn-Am Jam and Naselle Schools present two spring concerts over two successive weeks, featuring students from both the elementary and middle schools.

The Naselle School elementary and middle school concert will swing into life at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 14, directed and coordinated by elementary music teacher and drama director Barbara Swanson. The concert will be in the Commons at Naselle School, 793 State Route 4.

Just one week later, at 7 p.m. Wednesday, May 21, the Naselle School middle school band instructor and choir director Dave King, with assistant Karen Nelson, will lead his students in concert. The popular Marimba Band will perform at the concert and also appear at the Finnish-American Folk Festival Saturday, July 26.

As part of the elementary school program this year, Wilho Saari will conduct fourth-grade students in playing the Finnish national instrument, the kantele. The students strum and pluck the kanteles and also sing in both English and Finnish. Some of the students will be highlighted at the upcoming Finnish-American Folk Festival of Naselle which will be held July 25 through 27. They will be billed as “The Kantele Kids.”

Recently, Naselle-Grays River Valley School District was awarded a grant from Finlandia Foundation for the cost of constructing the small kanteles so that more students can participate. Greg Nelson, technology and shop instructor, has begun making them, and several ” five-stringers” will be ready in time for the Festival.

Saari, an award winning artist and kantele master and national folk fellow, has tutored students in the Naselle Schools since 1995. This is the third year Saari is tutoring the “Kantele Kids” under the sponsorship of the Washington State Arts Commission though the Finnish-American Folk Festival of Naselle.