Phil Wiggins Harps the Blues at Germantown School

Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School students got a lesson in the blues on Wednesday, thanks to a visit from acclaimed harmonica player Phil Wiggins.

Wiggins, 58, gained fame as half of the blues duo Cephas & Wiggins, lauded by critics as torch-bearers of the Piedmont blues tradition. But more than 30 years of making music came to an end for the duo when Cephas died March 4, 2009. Wiggins continues to perform.

At , Wiggins was joined by guitarist Rick Franklin; he spun a version of “You Are My Sunshine,” gave away instruments and led private practice sessions, according to The Gazette. 

The middle school show was made possible through a Maryalnd State Arts Council initiative called Maryland Traditions in Schools, which places performing folk artists in middle school classrooms. The state arts council partnered with the National Council for the Traditional Arts and Class Act Arts, a nonprofit based in Silver Spring.