ABBEVILLE, KATC — ABBEVILLE, La. - It’s festival season and everyone in town is feeling the excitement.
“It’s not everyday when your average 11-year-old gets to go to Festival International, so I think that’s very cool,” LeBlanc Elementary fifth grader Christine Baudin said.
At 11 years old, she along with 33 other young musicians from LeBlanc Elementary School’s fiddle club are playing at Festival International - a cultural celebration with over 300,000 visitors.
“Honestly, it’s magical. You get to learn a new instrument and then you feel really proud of yourself, and then you also have your friends that are playing with you. It’s just so much fun,” Baudin said.
For the first time, the fiddle club accompanied by Mr. Blake and Mrs. Lauren is taking center stage this week, showcasing their Cajun culture.
“It’s just an incredible honor. When we got the invite, I was just pinching myself because when the fiddle club started five years ago, this was my goal, and we finally hit it,” LeBlanc Elementary School Music Teacher Lauren Clements said.
Marching to the same tune, these musicians practice twice a week for six weeks, gearing up for the big day.
“The songs we’re playing are Cajun songs like my Fat Domino and Doris Menard, people that grew up in Abbeville and great songs. Songs that represent our culture, that really represent why we made fiddle club,” Baudin said.
When Christine’s not tugging on Acadiana’s heart strings, she’s beating to her own drum. She and the other performers are a reminder that no matter how young you are, you can still make a difference in your community.
“I feel like it’s just a huge accomplishment going to Festival International,” she said.
The dream of jamming out on stage doesn’t just stop with the kids, Mrs. Clements says this has been a lifelong goal.
“Fiddle club is one of the best ways to get our generation interested in the culture and just having them at Festival International, seeing other performing musicians, being on a stage and getting that feeling, it’s just amazing,” Mrs. Clements said.
