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Dan Kessinger - Fiddle/Guitar

Dan, a traditional West Virginia artist and state champion, plays a variety of musical styles on the fiddle and the guitar: bluegrass, country, blues, rock, jazz, and swing. This is an opportunity for students to experience firsthand the musical heritage of Appalachia and its reverberations in contemporary music performed by an award-winning, Mountain Stage artist.

Dan has won numerous awards in a variety of competitions, including the West Virginia, Maryland, and Pennsylvania State Fiddle Contests, and the Ohio State Guitar Contest. He has consistently placed in the National Flatpicking Championship on both the fiddle and the guitar. Dan's many appearances include the Mountain Stage and the Wheeling Jamboree.

Age level: grades 2-6 Time: 45 minutes. Availability; flexible with advance notice.

Curriculum Guide

Grades K-2

Language Arts & Social Studies
Active Listening
Rhymes,stories
WV/OH heritage

Math & Science
Counting
Patterns
Five senses

Arts
Music appreciation
Types of instruments
Types of songs

Grades 3-4

Language Arts & Social Studies
U.S. History
Appalachian heritage
Other cultures: Irish

Math & Science
Sound production
Rhythm, pitch
Natural resources

Arts
Music appreciation
Types of instruments
Musical styles

Grades 5-6

Language Arts & Social Studies
U.S. History
Folk tales, heroes
Appalachian heritage
Other cultures: Irish

Math & Science
Sound production
Repetition, patterns
Natural resources

Arts
Music appreciation
Types of instruments
Musical styles