Country Star Helps Kids Study Classics

Mozart he isn’t. But country singer Clint Black tried Thursday to show more than 50 elementary school students the importance of classical music as a base for all styles, including country.

Perched on a stool at the Anaheim Convention Center in his trademark black cowboy hat and untucked shirt, the 35-year-old Grammy nominee strummed an electric guitar that sounded much like a piano.

The group of third-graders listened intently as Black fiddled with some switches and drew violins and a hint of woodwinds from the guitar. “What is it?” Black asked his audience of 8-year-olds.

“An orchestra!” they said.

“What is it now?” he asked, turning the melody into the background for a heavy-metal tune. “Sounds like Van Halen. Do you know who Van Halen is?”

No, the students admitted, looking confused.

“Well, I am Van Halen,” Black quipped, drawing laughter from the adults in the crowd.

The 40-minute demonstration was part of a music education program called “Meet Mozart,” which teaches youngsters about the composers, melodies and rhythms of classical music through presentations in various schools.

The Magnolia School District students toured the annual National Assn. of Music Merchants convention Thursday before settling down for a visit with Black and “Mozart,” a character provided by Walt Disney Co., which sponsors the education program.

Teacher Nancy Turner said the students studied Mozart before Thursday’s trip and listened to several of Black’s songs, including his hit “Like the Rain.” They also were familiar with many of Mozart’s works.

“They had heard some of the classics before but didn’t know they were Mozart or what he was all about,” Turner said. “It was fascinating to watch them put everything together.”

Black brought classical and contemporary together by explaining how he composes music using synthesizers and other high-tech tools. Mozart “wouldn’t have to hire a whole orchestra if he had a bad guitar like this,” Black said.

He also gave a mini-guitar lesson to Alex Ion, who sat on the stool and plucked a few strings under the country star’s instruction. Grinning widely, the youngster admitted being unable “to play any instrument at all.”

Black explained that he started playing the guitar 20 years ago by learning just three chords. “Before you knew it, I could play 350 songs just with those three chords,” he said.

Inspiration is what Black said he hopes to bring the students.

“From Mozart to me--it’s a pretty good contrast for the kids, I think,” he said after the show. “If you can just get their attention, there’s no telling what kind of music will come out of them.”