I am a Bluegrass kid

WAITSBURG - One of my favorite after-school extracurricular activities is going to Bluegrass Kids; I have been a member for about six years. Bluegrass Kids is a fun program for kids and teens to learn how to play guitar, mandolin, banjo, cello, standing base, and fiddle. My mentor and good friend Kate Hockersmith created the program, which she offers to kids for free.

The free program meets at the new Touchet Valley Acoustic Music Program (TVAMP) building at 141 Main Street in Waitsburg.

Hockersmith got into bluegrass in 2002 after her son John watched "O Brother Where Art Thou" and was inspired by the music. She helped start at least three bands, including the Blue Mountain Troublemakers and Switchgrass. TVAMP has taken several kids' bluegrass bands to music festivals and even to Japan and Ireland.

What are the perks of joining Bluegrass Kids? Well, you get to learn how to play an instrument. And if you don't have one, TVAMP loans instruments to practice at home. If you can already play an instrument, you could try a new one or just play music with us.

Have a song you want to learn, or are you a songwriter? Well, Hockersmith can help you find the music you're looking for, or she might already have it. As for songwriting, I am a songwriter, and she has helped me so much, including finding the right chords for my songs.

Have an instrument in your house you don't play? Well, you could donate it to Bluegrass Kids and TVAMP. Many interesting instruments have been given to the program over the years, including an accordion from the 1940s.

Some Bluegrass kids also participate in the Mythical/Movable Blue Mountain Bluegrass Jams that rotate between venues in Waitsburg, Walla Walla, and Dayton every Friday at 7 p.m.

I strongly encourage everyone to bring their kids to check out Bluegrass Kids.