Students from Floyd, Rocky Mount
Invited to White House concert
By Tad Dickens | The Roanoke Times
About 20 children from Floyd and Rocky Mount will join kids from around the country at the White House next week to hear a concert from country music superstars Brad Paisley and Alison Krauss & Union Station.
The Tuesday afternoon event will be the second in First Lady Michelle Obama’s music series, which began in June with jazz musicians including Wynton, Branford and Ellis Marsalis. A classical music-themed show is scheduled for fall.
According to the White House, 120 middle- and high-school students were invited. Fifteen of them are from Floyd Music School, in Floyd. Four are students at Downtown Music, in Rocky Mount.
Paisley and Krauss, who combined on the hit single “Whiskey Lullaby” a few years back, will participate in an hour-long educational workshop focused on songwriting and country music traditions. They will perform at 7:30 p.m. President Barack Obama will address the children at the performance.
Floyd Music School owner Mike Mitchell said he was surprised and humbled at the White House’s invitation, which he received a couple of weeks back. His school has only been around for three years.
“I hope that the kids will be inspired to work hard at their studies — we’re an academic program here — and to feel that a career in the music industry, even at the very upper level, is possible with a lot of hard work,” said Mitchell, a classically trained violinist who also performs bluegrass with several regional acts. “I also hope that Floyd Music School kids will be instilled with some pride in our school, our town and our efforts.”
The Associated Press contributed information to this report.
July 2009
Mr. Mitchell was featured in an Associated Press Article
in July 2009
Physician Susan Osborne, right, bartered fiddle lessons
with Mike Mitchell and the fiddle she is holding
with another patient in exchange for her medical services.