These qualities were also evident as Ali invited the children up on stage during the first half of the show. "I'm going to call out a tune, and if you know it, come on up on stage," he announced, before adding, "slowly." He also cautioned them that if they just think they know it, or maybe they used to know it, "you might want to think twice about coming up, we don't want anyone to be embarrassed up here."
As they ran through a set of traditional tunes, the largest number of kids ventured up for the most familiar: "Frere Jacques," "Ode to Joy," and "Twinkle" (as in "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star"). However, a call for "Cripple Creek" stumped them. "How come none of you kids know that one?" teased upright bassist Chris Boeger, "Who's your teacher?" He also couldn't resist commenting that they must be "skittish about schottisches" when only a few braved the "Linda Schottische."
Other than keeping the songs G-rated, the band, which also includes guitarist Pat Spaay, doesn't do anything different for these afternoon shows than they do during their regular Thursday night gig. They still play everything from Bill Monroe to the Grateful Dead, but instead of Guinness their audience downs 16 ounce bottles of Sprecher root beer and huge slices of Glass Nickel pizza.
"Performance is a source of great motivation for the students," explained Greene as the reason the program schedules as many performances, formal or otherwise, as possible a year. The Music Makers program began in January of 2007 with the goal of giving instruments and lessons to motivated low-income children.
"We are reaching Hispanic, southeast Asian, and African-American children," she continued, "the same groups who too often need support with academic achievement and the opportunity for a comfortable life." The lessons are given in three community centers -- Goodman, Bayview and Centro Hispano -- where the students have easy access after school.
While the program began with major grants from the Madison Community Foundation, the Pleasant Rowland Foundation, and the American Girl Fund for Children, "our ongoing funding comes less from foundations and more and more from private individuals," stresses Greene. "We welcome any support so that we can continue this work with Madison's low-income kids."
Observing the grace, poise and skill the second through fifth grade fiddlers displayed on stage left no doubt that the group is accomplishing its goals.