Musical mentors for Homeschool music students

Heather Ainsley
ECB Publishing, Inc.

For some musicians, music just clicks. For others, any skill or talent related to their musical endeavors comes with practice. Lots and lots of practice. For most musicians, it's a little bit of both, as their musical inclination fuels the desire to spend the extra time honing their skills. A lot of musical prowess comes after years of trial and error, as the process of “learning by doing” takes time. The more time a skilled musician has spent learning from their mistakes and developing their own unique style, the more individualized their specific music will sound.
A lot of young musicians get easily discouraged, and not everyone has the patience for years of trial and error. It is estimated that a whopping 90 percent of all artists give up their craft. What sets a successful artist apart from the rest is dedication, and a drive to keep going, which can be hard to find on one's own. A key element to success for a young musician can be found in a musical mentorship.
A mentorship is defined as the guidance provided by a mentor, especially an experienced person in a company or educational institution. A musical mentorship includes a musical component to this, where an experienced musician will take a budding music student under their wing and help to guide them as they hone their skills. This mentorship is mutually beneficial; the mentor gains an audience they can use to share their wealth of experience and knowledge, and the student can learn from the mistakes and lessons of their mentor without having to spend years learning those same concepts by themselves. A musical mentorship provides motivation, emotional support and company to both parties, making it a valuable resource.
For homeschool students in the Dollar household, this valuable resource comes in the form of not one mentorship, but two. Allie Dollar, who plays the fiddle, is currently being mentored by Tom Van Treese, who has over 40 years of fiddling experience. Her sister, Anna Kate, has been picking up guitar with the advice and instruction provided by her own mentor, Kay Van Treese.
Allie is 13 years old and has been exploring the style of “old time fiddling,” for over two years with her mentor Tom. The Van Tresses and the Dollar family met at church, and after learning of their shared musical interests, they agreed on a mentorship. Tom describes young Allie as a “super quick learner,” who was able to play the tunes at full speed with him not long after their mentorship began. Allie loves playing the fiddle and has even played alongside the Van Treeses in several events.
Anna Kate is 15 years old and has always harbored a love of all instruments, displaying particular proficiency in piano. She began taking guitar lessons with the intention of playing back up to her sister's fiddle tunes, and has picked up the instrument easily under the instruction of Kay. She also plays the ululele.
The Van Treese couple have both played music for most of their lives, and started playing together professionally in the 1990s. The pair specialize in what they call an archaic style of traditional American music from Appalachia that is commonly referred to as “old time.” This style of music has been passed down for years through an oral tradition, passed in person from musician to musician through mentorships and collaborations. There is no sheet music or notation that is used when learning or playing, as is common with other music styles. Old time primarily features the fiddle, often accompanied by a banjo and guitar. It was a common favorite for square dances, barn raisings and other community events.
Together the Dollar sisters and the Van Tresses have formed a band, called the Young Fogies. The Van Tresses hope that their role in this mentorship will encourage Anna Kate and Allie to pass the tunes along to the next generation, and help keep the traditions of old time music alive and well.