Last year, the Grandview Zebra Strings Elite visited the land of all things Elvis in Memphis, Tenn., where they played several shows including one at Graceland. This year, they’ve been invited to perform at an even bigger venue.
The Grand Ole Opry, Nashville, Tenn.’s No. 1 venue and the birthplace of country music, will welcome 21 Grandview junior high students to play at the entrance of the famous landmark.
Though the Strings aren’t performing on stage, Vicki Nichols, the Strings’ teacher, said she hopes they can open for a country music star sometime in the future.
In preparation for the trip, Nichols said she is not only helping students perfect their music, but she’s also hoping to instill a little knowledge of the famed artists who came before them.
“We’re in the process of teaching them some of the history,” Nichols said. “This age does not know people like Roy Acuff. They only know Johnny Cash because of the movie. We’ll get to go backstage and see Minnie Pearl and Johnny Cash’s dressing rooms.”
On March 8, students will make their way to Nashville by way of their parents. Even though the group is not taking a bus or flying, each student will need about $400 to make the trip.
The money will cover tickets to tour backstage at the Grand Ole Opry; the “original Opry” Ryman Auditorium; the Hermitage, President Andrew Jackson’s home; the Country Music Hall of Fame; as well as other exhibits and meals.
“I’m real excited about being on stage at the old Ryman,” Nichols said.
Bus tours come through all day and hundreds of people can enjoy the Strings’ country music selections, including bluegrass, Cajun fiddle and classic country. Nichols said she believes at least a 1,000 people will hear the students’ performance at the Opry.
One perk is a recording session at RCA Records, where Carrie Underwood recorded her last CD.
Grandview Elementary School Principal Katherine Stewart said she is proud of the Strings, many of whom she watched grow from being unable to play a single note to blossoming violinists.
“The new kids come in and they are kind of upset they can’t play right away,” Stewart said.
The Zebra Strings begin learning violin in third grade and are required to keep playing until they are in junior high. By that point, some students — those in the Zebra Strings Elite — have purchased their own violins and continued to play on their own time.
Nichols only works with the group going to Nashville on Friday mornings for 40 minutes, and Stewart said she is amazed at the music that fills the hallways.
“She opens the doors so everyone can hear the music,” she said. “She cannot retire, any time.”
Nichols said most of the students learn the music on their own, but the group practice sessions really polish the overall sound.
“This is a very talented group,” she said. Several students are preparing to sing American county pop music group Lady Antebellum’s “American Honey,” as a nod to the group, which formed in Nashville in 2006.
One student is playing a drum solo, another will play guitar.
“They are wanting to do well,” Nichols said. “This is a very good group of students. What an opportunity these kids have.”
For information or to make a donation, call 817-866-2701. Donations can also be mailed to Zebra Strings at P.O. Box 310, Grandview, TX 76050.
Grandview ISD
Related Photos
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Grandview Zebra Strings Elite teacher and conductor Vicki Nichols shows off a wall of practice violins in her music room. The Strings are headed to Nashville, Tenn., in March. Amber Washington/Times-Review
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Zebra Strings to perform at Grand Ole Opry in Nashville
- Grandview ISD
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Zebra Strings to perform at Grand Ole Opry in Nashville
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