Crestwood Elementary School fourth graders tried their hand at songwriting, yodeling and imitating the sound of a train whistle during an arts integration lesson on Tuesday as part of a Jimmie Rodgers Foundation educational outreach program.

The students, many of them unaware of the history of Meridian’s native son, laughed as they tried to imitate Jimmie Rodgers’ famous blue yodel after watching an old video of the musician singing his hit “Waiting for a Train.”

When asked by teaching artist Alana Sparrow Broughton, a member of the foundation’s Board of Directors, to describe the song’s style, one student suggested Rodgers’ hit sounded “like a happy, sad song.”

Rodgers, who rose to popularity in the late 1920s during the Great Depression, is often regarded as the “Father of Country Music” and is known for his distinctive yodeling style.

Broughton visited Crestwood to teach the school’s more than 70 fourth graders an arts integrated lesson based on Rodgers’ songwriting and musical skills. The foundation also donated some percussive items the school had on its wishlist.

Foundation Executive Director Leslie Lee said the organization received a grant from the Mississippi Arts Commission a few years ago to start the outreach program with schools. But then the COVID-19 pandemic hit, and schools were forced to restrict unessential visitors from campus. In response, the foundation added an online educational outreach program to its website.

Now that schools have lifted those visitor restrictions, the foundation is excited to take the new program into schools with Crestwood being its first stop, Lee said.

“We are excited to finally see this program come to life and hope to have it grow within our local schools and throughout the state,” she said. “It is important for students to know the musical history of Meridian and Jimmie Rodgers’ influence and legacy on our musical history.”

Lee also said the foundation is lucky to have talented board members, such as Broughton, who makes up half of the local musical duo Sparrow Broughton with husband Lyle, to help bring the program to students.

Crestwood fourth-grader Aubree Odomes said she enjoyed learning about Rodgers, although she was already familiar with his name from previously visiting his museum.

“I can’t believe he made that train whistle with his mouth,” she said after watching the music video of Rodgers singing. “I tried, but I wasn’t as good as he did it.”

Aubree likes when they get to take part in arts lessons such as the one on Tuesday, especially because of the hands-on approach. Besides learning and practicing what a yodel is, they got to keep the beat with a musical egg shaker and attempted to re-write the lyrics to one of Rodgers’ songs to fit Crestwood School.

“I like to sing, and I would like to be a songwriter one day,” she said. “I want to be a rapper, so I like it when we get to do things like this”

Crestwood is a participating school in the Mississippi Whole Schools initiative, which works to model and support arts-based learning for the whole school community.

“Most of these kids do not know who Jimmie Rodgers is,” said Crestwood Principal Dana Bell.

After Tuesday’s outreach program with the foundation, however, students at least know who he is and the influence he had on Mississippi’s musical history, she said.

The visiting program is part of Crestwood School’s push to become a model Mississippi Whole Schools.

“It is important that our students have a well-rounded education and that involves the arts,” Bell said.

Lee said the foundation would love to work with any school or organization who is interested in hosting an arts integrated lesson with the Jimmie Rodgers museum. Interested organizations can contact the museum at 601-938-7427 or email executivedirector@jimmierodgers.com.