The McDades, a Canadian quintet that claimed the 2007 JUNO Award for Best Roots/Traditional Album, weren’t at all daunted by their audience of Cherry Valley students last Thursday.

In fact, they encouraged audience participation, especially with the traditional Scottish tune, “My Bonnie Lies Over the Ocean.”

Youngsters were first asked to raise their hands whenever they heard a “B” word, then drop it at the next B. In the next go-around, they were told to stand up at a B sound, and then sit down again at the next B. You can imagine how the refrain, “Bring back, bring back, bring back my bonnie to me,” elicited a lot of bouncing around on the gym floor.

A jig came next, and kids were advised to dance “however you want.” And they did – in almost every configuration imaginable.

The McDades arrived at Cherry Valley under the auspices of Mission Valley Live, a nonprofit organization that brings live performances to Polson and Ronan each year, and includes outreach programs at local schools and assisted living centers as part of the program.

The McDades also performed Friday night to an enthusiastic crowd at the Polson High School auditorium.

Shannon Johnson, who forms the core of the group with her brothers, Jeremiah and Solon McDade, says she’s been playing in front of people since she was 8 years old as part of her family’s Edmonton-based band.

“My brothers joined a little bit later on and then eventually we just thought we'd break out on our own,” she said.

She plays fiddle – an instrument she waved in front of her young audience asking, “Anyone know what this is?” A number of first graders, and even kindergarten students, correctly yelled out, “violin!”

“Does anybody know another name for a violin?” she asked. One guessed ukulele before others landed on fiddle.

“A violin and the fiddle are the same instrument,” Johnson said. “There's no difference – it's just a different way of playing.”

She went on to brandish her bow, describing it as “horse hair that sits on a stick,” which requires rosin (aka tree sap) to evoke sound from her fiddle.

Solon McDade took over next, introducing his tall double bass – also called the upright, stand-up or doghouse bass. The latter name is his least favorite, he told the kids. “I’m allergic to dogs so I don’t call it the doghouse.”

While his sister’s instrument can reach the highest notes, “like where birds are singing,” his reaches the lowest register among string instruments – growly sounds “that sometimes I can feel in my tummy.”

Jeremiah McDade took the microphone next to play a petite Irish tin whistle, a bigger whistle in D octave and a soprano saxophone. Then, band member Colin Savoie-Levac of Montreal introduced his guitar as “the coolest instrument of them all.” The drummer, Eric Breton, also lives near Montreal, as does Jeremiah. The other two McDades, Shannon and Solon, live in their hometown of Edmonton.

Between performances for first grade, kindergarten and pre-school students, Johnson said half-hour programs are just right for little kids. “That’s about the limit for their attention span,” Johnson said.

The goal is to teach them a little about music, keep them interested and give them outlets for squirminess.

From Polson, the group was headed to northeastern Montana for 10 school performances and five concerts in rural communities from March 23-28.

The evening shows entail more music and less talk, and since both of her brothers studied jazz at McGill University in Montreal, Johnson anticipated some improvisation as well.

“It’ll just be really fun,” she said.

Tricia Campbell, who coordinates outreach programs for Mission Valley Live, says bringing professional musicians into schools is a crucial part of what they do. In addition to Polson and Ronan, they try to include rural schools as well, such as Dayton, Valley View and Charlo.

She says it takes several months from the time the series is booked in the spring to settling on dates for school gigs, which typically occurs in September as they work closely with school officials.

“I honestly feel that most people, including these kids, might not have the opportunity to see a concert otherwise,” Campbell said. “So this is what gives them a chance to see different cultures, hear different music, learn what it's like to act in a performance.”

“It makes an impact,” she adds.

One of the students from last week gave Campbell some feedback. Sylvie said she appreciated “that it was St. Patrick's Day music” and that she learned to dance “really fast with my hands on my hips” while discovering that there’s “a big whistle and a little whistle.”

Cherry Valley principal Jon Gustafson said his school hosts one Mission Valley Live outreach annually and that he and his staff appreciate the partnership. He also noted that the performances “bring to life” what youngsters are learning in Whitney Buchmann’s music room.

Several teachers told him last week that they were impressed with how much kids already knew about instruments and the musical components of last week’s performance.

“I think this shows that our students are benefitting from these experiences and having music taught at our school,” he said.

The Mission Valley Live concerts are diverse – ranging from jazz and Celtic, to folk, Broadway and classical.

“They bring artists of all kinds to our school, and it is something many of our students have never and may never experience in their lives,” Gustafson said. “These performances bring joy and a love for learning to our students.”

    The McDades perform for Cherry Valley Elementary students last Thursday. The three musicians in the front row – Solon McDade on double bass, Shannon Johnson on fiddle and Jeremiah McDade on whistle – began playing together as children. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
  

    Spirited first graders practice a jig to a tune performed by The McDades. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)
  

    This first grader caught the spirit of last Thursday's school performance by The McDades with her "kayleigh" t-shirt. (Kristi Niemeyer/Leader)