Winter Wonderland 2014 - Fifth Grade - "T'zena, T'zena"

And that's our show. Outstanding job everyone. See you in the New Year!

Winter Wonderland '14 - "Tzena, Tzena" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland 2014 - Fifth Grade - "A Change is Gonna Come"

Winter Wonderland '14 - "A Change is Gonna Come" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland 2014 - Fifth Grade - "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas"

Winter Wonderland '14 - "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland 2014 - Fifth Grade - "Huron Carol"

Winter Wonderland '14 - "Huron Carol" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland 2014 - Fourth Grade - "Happy Christmas (War is Over)"

Winter Wonderland '14 - "Happy Christmas (War is Over)" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland 2014 - Fourth Grade - "Simple Gifts"

Winter Wonderland 2014 - "Simple Gifts" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland 2014 - Fourth Grade - "Zemer Atik"

Winter Wonderland '14 - "Zemer Atik" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland 2014 - Fourth Grade - "Little Moses"

Winter Wonderland '14 - "Little Moses" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland 2014 - Third Grade - "Jingle Bells"

Winter Wonderland 2014 - "Jingle Bells" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland 2014 - Third Grade - "Arabian Coffee"

Winter Wonderland '14 - "Arabian Coffee" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland 2014 - Second Grade/Third Grade - "Tune of the Buffens"

Winter Wonderland '14 - "Tune of the Buffens" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland 2014 - Second Grade/Third Grade - "Come Let Us Gather"

Winter Wonderland '14 - "Come Let Us Gather" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland 2014 - Second Grade - "Peace Train"

Winter Wonderland '14 - "Peace Train" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland 2014 - Second Grade - "Pojdzmy Wszyscy Do Stajenki"

Winter Wonderland '14 - "Pojdzmy Wszyscy Do Stajenki" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland 2014 - First Grade - "North Winds Blow"

Winter Wonderland '14 - "North Winds Blow" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland 2014 - First Grade - "Jambo Bwana"

Winter Wonderland '14 - "Jambo Bwana" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Winter Wonderland 2014 - Kindergarten - "Must Be Santa"

Winter Wonderland '14 - "Must Be Santa" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Excellent job at Winter Wonderland 2014!/Kindergarten - "Oh Hanukkah"

Winter Wonderland '14 - "Oh Hanukkah" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Merry Christmas everybody. It was one week ago that the Wonderland kids put on their annual holiday show and what a job they did. My only regret is that, due to technical problems, I was not able to mount the video before today. But better late than ever. First up we have Kindergarten singing "Oh Hanukkah."

The other videos are posted as individual songs in order of presentation. You can also go directly to any clip by clicking on the link in the bog archive on the left.

I hope you enjoy them and have a wonderful holiday break!

Wonderland Ensembles perform "Angel Band"

World of Music Winter '14 - Angel Band from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

For a variety of technical reasons, I did not shoot much video yesterday, but here is a short clip from one of the songs I did capture. As you can see, we still have a ways to go on concert deportment when other groups or individuals are performing, but apart from that, an outstanding job. One of many throughout the day.

Hey Ensembles -- fantasic job yesterday!

What a great day we had yesterday at our "World of Music" Winter show! I cannot say enough good things about the musicianship yesterday and all the hard work that led up to our performance. Recorder Ensemble, Chorus, Orff Percussion, and Coyote String Band -- bravo!

Winter Wonderland 2014 is two weeks from today!

Winter Wonderland 2014 - Tzena, Tzena Rehearsal from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

The show is two weeks away and all the classes are working hard. Here's a little clip from the rehearsal of Mrs. Hamilton's class today. Very good work!

Ms. Toppino's and Ms. Salazar's Classes - "Tune of the Buffens" Part 2

Hi Ms. Toppino's and Ms. Salazar's kids -- I know everybody's plate is pretty full, but is a few brave souls would like to take a crack at the parallel part for "Tune of the Buffens," here is your chance. This video will should you everything you need to know. I'll be seeing you guys on Fridays, so we'll discuss.

Three Minute Recorder - "Tune of the Buffens" - Part 2 from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Mr. Earl's and Mr. Oasay's Classes - "Huron Carol" Recorder Break

Hi Fifth Graders -- there was such interest in people playing the recorder break from Huron Carol, that I thought I would post this tutorial. You may find it helpful. Practice this weekend and we will talk about it on Monday.

Three Minute Recorder - Huron Carol/Recorder Break from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Mrs. Hamilton's and Mr. Galvez's Classes -- "T'zena, T'zena"

Hi again fifth graders -- as mentioned our last song will be "T'zena, T'zena" an Israeli folk tune made famous by the Weavers. You guys already sing this very well, but I didn't see any harm in posting some audio practice clips especially since I had a very good recording by a children's group from England. I am also posting a pronunciation clip. Work on the Hebrew words and remember that we are going to make a canon out of the English verse.

Mrs. Hamilton's and Mr. Galvez's Classes -- "A Change Is Gonna Come"

Hi Fifth Grade Home School -- "A Change is Gonna Come" by Sam Cook is not usually thought of as a holiday tune, but the rule with music celebrating Kwanzaa is that any African or African-American song will do, and this is one of the all time great songs from civil right era.

We will be singing this in two parts, but since I have not decided which class will be doing which, please familiarize yourself with both.

Mr. Earl's and Mr. Oasay's Classes - "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas"

Hi again, fifth grade -- since our first song presents so many challenges, I wanted to do something a little less complicated for our other number. That doesn't mean "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" won't take a little work to sing well. Pay particular attention to the sustained notes. Just like in instrumental music you need to maintain a steady flow of air in order to stay on pitch. There are also some cool examples of chromaticism (half steps) to test how well you hear those intervals. We'll work on all of it in class, but in the meantime practice will only make you sound better.

One small correction -- the sheet music has the line "from now on our troubles will be far away" so that's what would up in the recording. Please substitute the line "our troubles will be miles away" as it appears below.

Mr. Earl's and Mr. Oasay's Classes - "Huron Carol"

Hi Fifth Grade Magnet -- after a long delay (for which I apologize) here at least is the practice material for "Huron Carol," the famous Canadian Carol written by Jean de Brébeuf for the Huron Indians. You will find two audio files below the lyric sheet -- the upper one will take you through the pronunciation of the Wendat and French verses and the other is recording to the entire carol with the drone. We still have drums, xylophones and possibly recorders to add to our arrangement so please get to work on these vocals.

Mr. Austin's and Ms. Brier's Class -- "Zemir Atik"

Hi fourth grade home school -- by now you should have checked out the ukulele videos for Little Moses which were posted last week (and can still be found if you check the November archive to the left). Our other song, Zemir Atik (sometimes called Nigun Atik,) is one of the world's oldest songs. The name, fittingly, means "ancient melody."

The song uses the Egyptian scale and is in Hebrew, so you have your work cut out for you. Below are two audio files, one dedicated to the pronunciation of the words and the other to singing the melody. We will work on the instrumental accompaniment in class.

Ms. McLeod's and Ms. Zarakowski's Classes - "Peace Train"

Here's is our other song -- "Peace Train" by Cat Stevens. Remember that the key here is going to be to sing along with the Son Clave beat.

Ms. McLeod's and Ms. Zarakowski's Classes - "Pojdzmy Wszyscy Do Stajenki"

Hi Second Grade students -- our first of two tunes for the Holiday show is a Polish carol entitled "Pojdzmy Wszyscy Do Stajenki." There are many beautiful holiday songs that come from Poland, as does Ms. Zarakowski, but it is a challenging language to speak and to sing, so I've added a pronunciation track for you to practice with. I have a feeling you will recognize the instructors voice pretty quickly.

And below is the verse in Polish sung at normal speed. I have only included the Polish verse and the English verses are sun to the same melody and should give you no trouble. Note that I have also included the glockenspiel part.

Ms. Gary's, Ms. Robinson's and Ms. Sae-Tang Classes - "North Winds Blow"

Hello Again First Grade Students -- here is our other song composed by the famous music teacher Zoltan Kodaly and including the special lyrics that we wrote. This recording will help you learn the words. We can work on the body percussion parts in class.

Ms. Gary's, Ms. Robinson's and Ms. Sae-Tang Classes - "Jambo Bwana"

Hello First Grade Students -- our first song for the holiday show is Jambo Bwana, the famous East African tune where the expression Hakuna Matata comes from. Those words and all the others are in Swahili so you need to get to work memorizing them. And don't forget about our dance moves!

Mr. Ellis's and Ms. Ryan's Classes - "Happy Christmas/War is Over" Part 3

Wonderland Avenue Music - "Happy Christmas/War is Over" (in F) - Part 3 from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

And here is part 3.  If you want to come back from the break ready to rock out, who am I to stand in your way?  :)

Mr. Ellis's and Ms. Ryan's Classes - "Happy Christmas/War is Over" Part 2

Wonderland Avenue Music - "Happy Christmas/War is Over" (in F) - Part 2 from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Although we haven't covered it in class yet, I decided to go ahead and post part 2 and 3 of "Happy Christmas/War is Over" in case any of you are ready to move on over the Thanksgiving break.

Mr. Austin's and Ms. Brier's Classes - "Little Moses"

Wonderland Avenue Music - Ukes - "Little Moses" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hey Fourth Graders -- here is a video tutorial for "Little Moses" - one of our songs from the upcoming holiday show.  It is geared more toward the ukulele players, but you may all find it useful.  Hopefully you will come back from the Thanksgiving break singing and playing it with confidence.

Mr. Ellis's and Ms. Ryan's classes - "Happy Christmas/War is Over" - Part 1

Wonderland Avenue Music - "Happy Christmas/War Is Over" (in F) - Part 1 from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hi Fourth Grade Magnet -- this video is more for the ukulele players.  It will teach you how to make the first three (of six) chords to play the song.  I will publish the rest of the chords and lyrics soon, but this should be enough to get you started.
 

Recorder Ensemble - "Zuni Song"

Three Minute Recorder - Zuni Song from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hey Recorder Ensemble -- I didn't forget about you.  This video should help more of you learn to play the main part of "Zuni Song."  Hope you will working on this over the Thanksgiving break (which is, after all, an appropriate time of year to be playing Native American music).  And don't forget about "Water Come A Me Eye."  You can find a link to those video in the archive to the left.

Ms. Weiss's, Ms. Lamoureaux's and Ms. Epstein's classes - "Arabian Coffee" - Part 2

Three Minute Recorder - Arabian Coffee Part 2 from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.
Hi again third grade -- here's the second part of "Arabian Coffee," which I think most of you will find very easy to play -- if you know your notes from "Little Johnny Brown" (and I know you do) you are basically there.  Can't wait to here how the parts sound together!

Ms. Weiss's, Ms. Lamoureaux's and Ms. Epstein's classes - "Arabian Coffee" Part 1

Three Minute Recorder - Arabian Coffee Part 1 from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hi Third Graders -- here is the song we began learn last week for the holiday show - "Arabian Coffee" -- the video above should be useful in learning how to play the song, one of my favorite parts of the "Nutcracker."  We have some xylophone and finger cymbal parts to learn, so get busy.  And when you are done with this, be sure and give part 2 a listen.

Ms. Toppino's and Ms. Salazar's Classes - "Tune of the Buffens"

Three Minute Recorder - "Tune of the Buffens" - Part 1 from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hi Ms. Toppino's and Ms. Salazar's classes -- here is a tutorial video and the music for the song we learned today -- "Tune of the Buffens."  Don't forget about our other song "Come Let Us Gather" which you can locate in the blog archive on the left side of this web page.

Coyote String Band - "Distant Land to Roam" - Play Along/Sing Along

Coyote String Band - Distant Land to Roam from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Here's our third song, "Distant Land to Roam."

Remember, there is no substitute for practice when it comes to music.  How good we sound at our concerts depends entirely on how much work we put it in our practice sessions.  The good news is that once your skills develop you will always have them and can use them to play all kinds of songs.

So now y'all get busy!  :)

Coyote String Band - "Angel Band" - Sing Along/Play Along

Coyote String Band - Angel Band from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hi Coyotes -- here's our second song "Angel Band."  Remember this song is in triple meter or, as I often say, "in 3."

This is also one of the songs we will sing at the Mulholland Tennis Club on Wednesday, December 10, so carollers also take note.

Coyote String Band - "Little Birdy" - Sing Along/Play Along

Coyote String Band - Little Birdy from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hey Coyote String Band -- here's something knew I'm trying, that was suggested by Mr. Bonk.  He and I recorded all three of our Winter Concert pieces, so you could practice singing along and playing along as we do in class.  All the words to songs are embedded as subtitles.  All you need to do is sing along and play along.

The first song is "Little Birdy"  Hope this will keep you busy over the Thanksgiving break.

Ms. Toppino's and Ms. Salazar's Classes - "Come Let Us Gather"

Three Minute Recorder - Come Let Us Gather from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hello students.   I delighted to start the posting of holiday show tutorials with your classes.  This video will show you how to play the first of our two songs for Winter Wonderland 2014.  Watching the video counts as your daily practice so what are you waiting for?

Recorder Ensemble - Water Come A Me Eye Part 2

Three MInute Recorder "Water Come A Me Eye" Part 2 from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Recorder ensemble members -- here is the harmony part for "Water Come A Me Eye."  Something for all of you to work on while I am away this week.  Remember -- watching the video counts toward your practice.

Coyote String Band -- Mandolin Tutorial for "Angel Band"

"Angel Band" - Mando tuning/chords/intro from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hey Coyotes -- now for a change of pace from all those recorder videos.  Here's a short video that will show you mando players how to play the chords and the intro for "Angel Band."  Covers tuning also.  Should keep you guys busy.  :)

Recorder Ensemble -- "Water Come A Me Eye" Recorder 1

Three Minute Recorder - "Water Come A Me Eye" Part 1 from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hi recorder ensemble players -- here is the video tutorial to accompany the music I gave you this week (and reprinted below). There are a couple of tricky passages but with practice I think you will find it very manageable.  I will post the second part after we've had a chance to work on it in class.

Three Minute Recorder Lesson 6 - Low D

Three Minute Recorder - Lesson 6 from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Here's that low D many of us talked about yesterday.  Now we have almost a complete octave (accept for tricky F -- more on that next week.)

Three Minute Recorder Lesson 5 - High C and D

Three Minute Recorder - Lesson 5 from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hi Third Grade Students -- here are a couple of more videos which review some of the notes we've been learning this week.  Remember -- watching one of these videos twice counts as practice.

Three Minute Recorder Lesson 4 - Improvisation!

Three Minute Recorder - Lesson 4 from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hi again Recorder players --In this video we will begin to explore the possibility of improvisation on the recorder.  Being able to freely express yourself is a musical way is one of the great joys of music making.  So get to it!  :)

Three Minute Recorder Lesson 3 - E

Three Minute Recorder - Lesson 3 from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

H Third Graders and Ensemble Players.  For our fourth note we will learn E, which requires that we use our right hand.  Adding E to B, A and G gives us a whole different emotional feeling.  Try it and you'll see what I mean.

Three Minute Recorder Lesson 2 - B-A-G

Three Minute Recorder - Lesson 2 from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Lesson 2 focuses on the notes B, A and G, which are often the first three notes anyone learns on the recorder and all the notes you will need to play "Mary Had A Little Lamb" and many other songs.

Three Minute Recorder Lesson 1 - Basic Technique

Three Minute Recorder - Lesson 1 from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hi third graders and ensemble members -- here is the first of several videos to help you review what we are learning about your recorders in class.  You'll notice that these videos show me using one of our old Yamaha recorders instead of our black Peripoles.  I think the white recorder makes it easier to see my fingers.

Since I am asking you to practice 6 minutes a day, just by watching one of these three minute videos you are halfway there!

Space Unit Ends/Recorders Begin!

In upper grades we completed the composition and choreography piece inspired by the Hubble images i firth grade, while the third graders were given their recorders.  We're using Peripole recorders this year, which is a significant upgrade and should help producing a sweeter sound.  The other thing that will help that is practice.  To that end I will be posting recorder videos on this blog,  That are called "Three Minute Recorder," and they are a good way to review and practice what we are learning in class.

Not quite fall

I usually teach my falling leaf lesson in first grade about four weeks into the year.  On the old school calendar that was just about the time there was a bit of fall in the air.  It would be hard to describe the last couple of weeks of 90 plus degree weather as fall-like, but first graders still had a good time constructing movement pieces with scarves and talking about life cycles and descending and ascending scales.

Meanwhile in second grade the kids were learning about work songs, specifically songs sung by sailors to help with the drudgery of moving cargo.  As always I try to give them a little something of the experience (not the drudgery part).

Fifth Grade's space adventure continues

Last week the student in each 5th grade class composed some music to accompany a series of images taken by the hubble space telescope which we then edited into a short film.  Mr. Galvez's class's version is posted below.

Wonderland Music Presents - Space - the Final Frontier! from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

The next phase of this project will be to develop a movement piece to accompany the film, exploring the concept of time and space in a different way.

Wonderland has bass bars!

Thanks to my friend (and former teacher) Will Salmon, Wonderland now has a complete set of contra bass bars for our instrumentarium on extended loan.  These super low notes really add a lot of depth to the music we play in the classroom.  I used them all week to continue our study of instruments make sounds in first grade, for example, or to add to our accompaniment of "Los Ninos En Espana Cantan" in fourth.  I can't wait to try them out in Ensemble.  Thank Will!

The bars are not the only new instruments we'll be using this week.  Third graders will be receiving their recorders after spending a few weeks reviewing the basics of rhythmic notation and being introduced to the concept us pitch in notation.  For the recorders we have FOW to thank, so thank you parents!

Space - the Final Frontier!

I'm especially pleased with the way one of the fifth grade activities is working out.

The students were given six images taken by the Hubble Space Telescope and asked to choice which one inspired them the most.  They were then given ten minutes working in small groups to develop a piece of music to accompany the image as part of film each class is putting together.  Next week they will use the film as backdrop to a movement piece each class will develop.  This is the first year I've used this lesson and so far it is a definite keeper.

Developing Music Reading Skills

I generally don't spend a lot of time focusing of developing reading skills, as the Orff approach calls for improvisation and play and reading can slow that process down.  However, it is important that the kids know how music is put together, so beginning in second grade we start using activities like these chopsticks on paper to illustrate beat, rhythm and accents.  Believe it our not the "score" below is for the Moroccan song "Ram Sam Sam."  Then in third grade we add the note heads and begin to discuss subdivision of the beat.

Week 2 in the books -- lots of great stuff happening

Ensembles met on Monday and a barely had time to catch my breath let alone take any pictures.

Meanwhile regular music classes are in full swing.  Kindergardeners were focused on learning the names of the parts of the body (in Spanish and English), while First Grade learned a couple of activities that focus on classifying and categorizing.  Who says being organized has to be dull?

Ensembles begin on Monday!

Even with 45-60 minutes a week it is not possible to go as deeply into music as I would like or as the Wonderland kids are capable of.  For this reason, my program offers 4 elective ensemble options for interested third, fourth and fifth graders.  Because ensembles, like orchestra, are pull outs -- classes that occur during the instructional day -- students must also secure the teachers permission to join.

This year all the general music ensembles meet on Monday in the MPR on the following schedule.

Chorus 10:30-11:15
Coyote String Band 11:15-12
Percussion Ensemble 1-1:45
Recorder 1:45-2:30

These letters will explain a bit more about the sign up procedure.  They may be downloaded from here of from the school website or obtained from the office.

What is Orff?

Wonderland Avenue Music - She Sells Sea Shells from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

New families in particular sometimes ask what the Orff Schulwerk approach to teaching music approach is all about.  Here's a excerpt from this week's fourth grade music class that illustrate what goes on in the Orff classroom.  As you can see there is a lot of emphasis on movement and rhythmic independence and having the kids take a role in the construction of the material we use.  Above all we try to get it playful and fun.  The kids enjoyed this piece, but that could also have something to do with all the beach references.  There's something just not right about being in school in August!

We're Back!

Greetings Wonderlandians!  The summer seems to have been especially short this year.  At the same time I am very excited to be back at school making music with all of you.

This blog is where I will post information about what is going on in general music class and then later on a place I can share videos and other practice material.  You can also leave me messages here, provided you become a member.  Students, be sure and get your parents permission before doing that.

The first week was a good one with each class receiving at least 45 minutes of music and primaries - Kindergarden, First Grade and Second Grade -- getting an extra singing session on Friday.

2014 Wonderland Culmination - "Best Day of My Life"

Culmination 2014 - Best Day of My Life from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

It was so fitting that for our final number we were able to feature Mr. Wilson on the banjo.  We are excited for him entering this new phase of his professional life, but we are sure going to miss him at Wonderland.

I feel the same way about all of you.  I am very excited for all of you to go on to middle school and beyond, but you will be missed around here.  It's been a real privilege being your music teacher.  Have a great summer!

2014 Wonderland Culmination - "Lean on Me/Let it Be"

Culmination 2014 - Lean on Me:Let it Be from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Your second song (technically songs) was beautiful too.  We had some technical glitches but you managed to stay focused and pulled it off.  On a completely unrelated topic, can I just tell you how great the speeches were?  The best I've ever heard!

2014 Wonderland Culmination - "Where is the Love?"

Culmination 2014 - Where is the Love from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Congratulations again, graduates!  You did a fantastic job yesterday, and I thought you and your families might enjoy a few video clips.  I have to say, I had my doubts about "Where is the Love" but you guys really pulled it off.  Mr. Wilson told me several times that this song was his favorite.

Wonderland Ensemble Spring Concert 2014 - "Street Song"

Wonderland Ensemble Spring '14 - Street Song from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

"Street Song" was the perfect way to end the show, and you guys did an excellent job with this challenging piece.

It was a really pleasure working will all of you this year.   I am really looking forward to next year.  Again, Bravo!

Wonderland Ensemble Concert Spring 2014 - "Short Piece for Barred Instruments #3/Scarborough Fair"

Wonderland Ensemble Spring '14 - Short Piece for Barred Instruments #3/Scarborough Fair from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

I try to rotate the pieces we perform, but I think I'm going to make this one part of our regular Renaissance Fair rotation.

Wonderland Ensemble Concert Spring 2014 - "Wayfaring Stranger"

Wonderland Ensemble - Wayfaring Stranger from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

I am extremely proud not only of the way you all played, but the way everybody conducted themselves.  As always the show was little crazy but you guys kept your focus.  Well done!

Wonderland Ensemble Spring Concert 2014 - "Sansa Kroma"

Wonderland Ensemble - Sansa Kroma from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

I do not have video of every song, but I tried to get a sample from each of the groups as well as one of the group numbers.

Wonderland Ensemble Spring Concert 2014 - "Pastime with Good Company"

Wonderland Ensemble - Pastime from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hey Ensemble Members and Friends -- fantastic job at the concert last Thursday!  Sorry it's taken me a few days to get these clips up, but they are worth the wait -- enjoy!

Coyote Band -- Banjo Rolls for Wayfaring Stranger

Coyote String Band -- Banjo - Forward Rolls on Am, Dm & E from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hello Banjo Players -- here at last the video showing the Am, Dm and E major rolls for Wayfaring Stranger.  Hopefully this will get you going on your three finger technique.

5th Grade Culmination - Best Day Of My Life

Hi Fifth Graders.  Here's our next song (which we will actually be performing last in the graduation show).  It's pretty straightforward -- one direction.  Sing loud!