Mitzie Collins
Mr. Shade took half of his class and half of Mrs. Mahar's class to the
Lyell Avenue Branch of the Public Library to see Mitzie Collins. When we
got there, she played us an Irish tune on the hammered dulcimer. The hammered
dulcimer has a lot of strings and is related to the piano. Next, she played
" Oh Susanna," on a 110 year old banjo. We learned that banjos
are originally from West Africa. The banjo that she played had 5 strings.
Then she played the lap dulcimer, also called the mountain dulcimer, and
fretted dulcimer. The song that she played was called "Baby-O."
After that, she told us a little about what inspired her to start playing
instruments. When she was a kid, her family wanted her to play an instrument.
In school, she was good at reading, but wasn't good at math, therefore,
if she started to play an instrument, it might make her parents happy. Her
first instrument was a piano which she started to play when she was 5 years
old.
She lived in Dallas, Texas originally and moved to Rochester to go to
Eastman School of Music.
After she graduated she played the organ and sang in the choir at her
church. She was inspired to play string instruments when went to a folk
festival and heard the instruments being played. Kids love to hear her music.
The only instrument that she has made is a harpsichord. Her favorite
instruments are stringed and portable. Her favorite one is the hammered
dulcimer. Another song, she played was on a drum called a bodhron which
is played with a two headed stick.
She also played us a song that she wrote. First, she told us the history
of it. 150 years ago, people from Ireland came to America because there
was a famine. The song was called, "We Are Your Children Ireland."
She is 55 years old. The last thing she played was about a limberjack or
a dancing man. Then she told us two things that her grandma used to say,
"curiosity is more valuable than talent" and "school is never
out!"
By Nissa
Mrs. Mitzie Collins
On Thursday, March 13,1997, Mr. Shade's class and part of Mrs. Mahar's
class went to the Lyell Branch Library. I had a great time.
First we went to Mr. Shade's classroom to leave. When we got there his
class was just getting ready to leave. It took them a while and I started
to sweat!
Next we left school. We walked past a florist shop and there was this
dog in the shop. It started barking when we went past it.
We arrived at the library. Inside were instruments and books. The instruments
were from the special guest, Mrs. Mitzie Collins. She was very nice.
Mrs. Collins began by playing this weird looking instrument. It was
called a hammered dulcimer.
She also played a banjo. It was 110 years old. I learned that the banjo
came from West Africa. I thought it came from the South.
There was this one drum that was called the Bodhron. The d and the h
is silent in Bodhron. It is an Irish drum. She used a mallet with two heads
to play it.
Last she had a puppet called a Dancing Doll or Limberjack. It is a percussion
instrument. She had 3 of them.
I really enjoyed learning things I didn't know.
By Ciera
Mrs. Collins
It was a very long walk to the Lyell Branch Library. We went to see
Mitzie Collins. She brought in instruments. Two instruments were the hammered
dulcimer and the banjo. The banjo is from West Africa but most people thought
it was from places in the South. She also played another instrument known
as the Lap Dulcimer. It is an instrument that you play on your lap. She
played a lot of sons on the instruments but I can't remember any of them.
She told us that she comes from Dallas, Texas and she is 56 years old.
For college, she went to the Eastman School of Music.
Other instruments that she played were the Irish Frame Drums and the
dancing man. She also brought in a girl dancer and a boy dancer. They had
on clothes liked they worked on a farm. They were all jointed dancers.
Mrs. Collins' mother always said these words: "Curiosity is more
valuable than talent " and "School is never out. "
It was fun going to see Mitzie Collins because she was very nice.
By Antwan
