Dewey Balfa, Tony Balfa, Nonc Allie Young, and Rockin' Dopsie at Creswell Elementary in Opelousas, Louisiana:

-Talking in English. Honor for Dewey to come and talk about the Cajun culture;
-What the word Cajun means. From corruption of the word Acadian, from France. Came to Acadia and exiled in 1755 to Southwest Louisiana;
-Hard lives, music pulled them through. Playing music and telling stories after a hard days of work;
-Acadians brought violins/fiddles. Difference between a violin and a fiddle--same instrument, just depends on who's playing it. Classical music-violin, Cajun music-fiddle (can't read and write music, plays his feelings and not what's on paper). Tuned the same way (EADG);
-Bow made of hardwood and horsehair. Tightening and loosening the hair. White horses? Bleaching hair to make it white;
-A bow needs rosin to make a noise. From a pine tree and makes the hair catch the strings;
-Learning where the notes are on the instrument in order to play a song in mind;
-Tu peux cogner/Keep a knockin';
-Country fiddling (single notes) vs. Cajun fiddling (drones). Blues mans plays his blues, Cajun plays with drones;
-Seconding-chords and rhythm with the bow. There was no guitar or anything else to keep rhythm;
-Started teaching kids rhythm (triangle). Everything has an art (cutting grass, painting, etc.);
-Tony playing triangle without choking it (without feeling) and with choking it (feeling);
-Scott Playboys Special (Old Crowley Two-step) with spoons;
-Very few people had money to buy instruments. Using fiddlesticks (with cross-tuned fiddle);
-Sponsors for Dewey coming to the schools to teach school kids about Cajun and Creole culture;
-Fiddlesticks are used to keep rhythm, like a drummer. Cross-tuned (BGDG). Hitting the bigger strings. Certain time to hit the big and small strings;
-J'ai été au bal hier au soir (similar to The Rabbit Stole The Pumpkin, Joe Falcon's Ne Buvez Plus Jamais)/Lost Indian (from Appalachian fiddler);
-1890-1900-arrival of the accordion by the Acadians, Mexicans, and Blacks (Amédé Ardoin), German origin. Popular because there was no amplification and the accordion could be heard. 4 sets of reeds, 4 times louder than a fiddle;
-Accordion can bass himself too, whereas you'd need at least two fiddles (one to play melody and one to second);
-Diatonic-different notes when you push and pull;
-Sundown Playboys Special (without and then with bass). Fuller with bass;
-Late 1920s-1930s, Cajun adopted guitar. At one time, fiddles had 5 strings. Adding a string to guitars and putting frets. Can't sliding up on a fretted instruments, sliding up on fiddle. The fiddle has any note within the reach of his 4 fingers. Picking or rhythm on guitar;
-Tous les Soirs and Tu Peux Cogner/Keep a knockin' sung;
-Tous les Soirs with accordion and guitar;
-Accordions and fiddles playing solo until they could tune together. Creation of bands;
-Same melodies, different titles. La Vasle à Allie Young/Rockin' Dopsie/des Opelousas. Where or whom the person learned the tune from;
-Always a leader in the group. Dewey telling people it's time to end the song;
-Triple-row accordion, can play any kind of music. Zydeco music (French music mixed with blues and jazz). Sounding like an accordion, saxophone, violin, harmonica, organ;
-Changing buttons. 12 bass buttons on the bass side. Breather/blower/whistle/air button-Asthma Waltz;
-Rockin' Dopsie plays accordion upside down because he plays left-handed. Learning how to play instruments. Dewey learned harmonica opposite with the big notes to his right;
-Rockin' Dopsie learning on his father's accordion while he was working in the field. He thought it was the right way;
-Joséphine, c'est pas ma femme (without, then with bass and full band);

-Opelousas Waltz;
-Zydeco and Cajun music can play together, except for the blues. Nobody can the blues like a Black person;
-Rockin' Dopsie playing the blues until 4 am, he got home and his wife said he didn't live there anymore;
-Untitled Zydeco/Blues number (same as on AN1-197). Did the organ part on the last round, really bluesy and wanna cry. Dewey playing the blues on triangle;
-Why Nonc Allie doesn't play when Rockin' Dopsie is playing;
-Learning what buttons to push/pull. Driving down the street and turning left, not right. Bringing a bite of food to your mouth. Ray Charles plays piano blind, he know where the notes are;
-Only 6th graders in band, these are only 3rd and 4th graders. Who has a desire to play music. Music as a universal language;
-Practicing just like doing homework, you've got to study. You have to work at it. Music is just as hard as education. Dopsie can only sign his name, he didn't go to school;
-Kids fortunate to go to school;
-Not forgetting the hard times. Music kept families together and the happy life going;
-Diatonic Accordion with explanation;

Dewey Balfa, Tony Balfa, Nonc Allie Young, and Rockin' Dopsie at Creswell Elementary in Opelousas, Louisiana