Watch a video of Saturday's events at the River City Roots FestivalBut off to one side under the park's pavilion, dozens of children were picking up a guitar for the first time for a brief lesson from Nathan Zavalney.
Within a few minutes, the kids learned how to hold a guitar and to strum a few strings, which was enough to learn a song of sorts: “I love pea-nut but-ter, I love pea-nut but-ter.”
The musical education program for children between the ages of 5 and 12 comes from the Childbloom Co. in Texas, which has franchises nationwide.
So, while experienced bands were jamming up on the stage, Zavalney was patiently explaining the basics of guitar to children, some no taller than the polished instrument in their hands.
They all came away with a smile.
“Our philosophy uses a playful approach and small steps and games to help the kids learn,” said Zavalney.
He bought his first guitar for 25 cents at a garage sale when he was 9, but he gave it up for a while because he was discouraged by traditional teaching methods that treat students the same whether they are children or adults.
“The difference with Childbloom is we look at how a child learns and focus on that instead of telling them, ‘Do this, do that,' ” he said.
Zavalney said nearly all of his students have stuck with the guitar. Some have gone on to perform in music groups ranging from garage rock bands to classical ensembles.
“It's fun to see them grow,” he said.
Music wasn't the only thing that drew thousands of people to the free festival, which continues Sunday.
Booths also offered an eclectic collection of paintings, drawings, photographs, jewelry and other arts and crafts.
Lisa Ernst, 53, a master potter from Jefferson City, displayed some of her elegant porcelain, including bowls, plates, vases and teakettles.
The high-fire pieces are wheel-thrown and made of fine-particle clay. They have renderings of botanical and animal images, covered with clear glaze and finished in earth tones, giving them a water-color quality.
Ernst, who was born in Japan and raised in Pennsylvania, moved to Montana in 1980 to be a part of the arts community around the Archie Bray Foundation for the Ceramic Arts, an internationally recognized nonprofit institution in Helena.
She lives in the countryside, where she draws inspiration from her natural surroundings. Her studio is called HarpFarm Pottery Works.
“It's a euphemism for heaven, and I felt where I live is paradise,” she said, mentioning the sandhill cranes, hummingbirds and other wildlife that populate her land.
“I started playing with clay when I was 8 years old, digging it out of the pond, and I've never stopped,” she said. “I just love it. The more you do with it, the more you can do.”
Ernst comes to Missoula to sell her porcelain at the Saturday markets and the Roots Festival, where a stream of people stopped at her booth.
“People should be fearless about what they like,” she said. “If you like, buy it. Follow your impulse whether you understand it right away or the appreciation unfolds later on.”
Reporter John Cramer can be reached at 523-5259 or at johncramer@missoulian.com.
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