allViolin.com

Kalen Riley, 5, and his mom, Shana, made a sweet show of gratitude at the boy's school on Wednesday.

"Thank you for bringing me to school," Kalen said, looking up at his mother from behind round, wire-rimmed eyeglasses. Then he bowed.

"Thank you for being my child," Shana said, bowing back.

That's how they've started most Wednesdays since Kalen started taking violin. Violin lessons are new this year at Morehead Montessori School on Cobb Street. The school emphasizes parental involvement, and the respectful bows at the beginning of class -- and the method overall -- are based on the ideas of 20th-century philosopher and music teacher Shinichi Suzuki.

"It's about creating a nurturing environment for the children, where they can learn at their own pace," said teacher Betsy Hughes.

Last year, just a couple of months after getting a job at Morehead, Hughes applied for a grant from the Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership, a way for Duke University to invest in schools and neighborhoods around its Durham campus. She also received money from the Durham Giving Project, a student project at Duke.

The nearly $3,000 has allowed her to buy 20 child-sized violins and expose 27 Morehead kindergartners to the instrument. Hughes has played violin herself since age 3, and grew up in Greenville, N.C., where there is a big "Suzuki community," Hughes said.

"She took the initiative, this is not part of her job description," said Jackie Looney, a Morehead parent whose fifth-grade daughter helps Hughes with the lessons.

On Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, different groups show up for lessons. They get up extra early, arriving at 8 a.m. to squeeze in a 30-minute lesson before school starts.

Their parents stand close by, helping the children properly hold the bow, move their fingers to different frets and hear different pitches.

On Wednesday, Shana Riley stood behind her son as he glided his bow smoothly over the E string. She helped him keep his chin tucked to keep the violin resting on his left shoulder.

As the children practiced an exercise, they prepared to play together. Hughes stood in the circle with her violin and repeated the exercise.

"Your -- turn -- ready -- go," Hughes said in time with the beat.

The youngsters responded with a wild cacophony of notes and rhythms.

"Did that sound like one violin?" Hughes asked the 5-year-olds. Some shook their heads. They tried again.

"The parents are very excited. Rather than the parent having to drive to a group lesson, this is right here for the kids at school," said Hughes, who also is the orchestra director at W.G. Pearson Magnet Middle School. "It's a great way for the kids to start their day."

Parent Robert Sinclair said the lessons before school are an important time for him to bond with his son, Cole. Being the middle child in a household of three elementary-aged children makes it hard to get attention from his dad.

"This is just his thing," Sinclair said. "He's the only one in the house who plays violin."

Kalen said he likes having his mom involved in the lesson, and he loves the instrument itself.

"I like it this much," he said, stretching his arms and showing off their roughly three-foot span.