Here is the zine for How to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star on your Harmonica. Also, this zine contains a very fun song about everyone’s favorite snack, a Juice Box! You can learn the Juice Box song here. And, here is a video that will show you how to fold your zine, once it’s printed. How to Fold a Zine with Jason
Every year I teach the Music Station at an incredible sports/art/music/community-building camp called Basketball in the Barrio, in Segundo Barrio, El Paso, Texas. We couldn’t hold the camp in 2020, so Coach Denisse Franco and I wrote a theme song which, hopefully, we’ll all be able to sing for camp in 2021. Give it a listen and we’ll sing it at camp next year!
I take visual art classes with the most amazing person; Kaye Buchman. Her art classes have moved online and it has been a highlight of the week to meet with her and the other students. I’ve been saying that the pandemic has taught me that, “A good teacher in person is going to be a good teacher online,” and Kye certainly proves that to be true. Kaye and I always talk music almost as much as we do art, so I wanted to write a theme song for her art studio; KB Studio. Building community is the name of the game at Kaye’s studio, so I was thrilled when one of the other students, Mary Ridley, agreed to sing the song I wrote. Enjoy the music and take a look at kbstudio.us if you want to build your visual art practice. She is fantastic. You can listen to the song right here. And, you can download the notation of the song, here.
This fall I published my latest zine, The Sticker Method: Creating a Habit of Practice (available in the store). This is a method for taking a lot of the stress that can come with being a learner/do-er out of our lives. I’ve developed the method over my lifetime as both a teacher and a student I am a user of The Sticker Method and one of my favorite aspects of it is that the method can be used for anything. If you’ve heard my music, seen my drawings, watched my skateboard videos, or if we’ve talked about developing a habit of going to the gym, then you’ve seen The Sticker Method in action. What are you going to practice? I’d love to know.
I’ve been playing guitar for a long time. And, I teach a lot of guitar players that haven’t played for very long (comparatively). Learning to play is a lot of work, and for the most part it’s very solitary work, so “the public” only sees the “finished” product. As a teacher, I can tell that it is difficult for students (especially adult students) to believe that I have had, and continue to have, all those same challenges that they have. I’m not special, I’ve just been doing it for a long time. The work isn’t any easier, I just know how to do the work. Here is a short excerpt of a tune I recently wrote. It has a part right in the middle where my fingers need to make a move that they are not familiar with. Now it’s time for me to take my own advice! Slow down. Play with intention. Don’t let your habit take over because your habit doesn’t know it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve played this very short section over the past couple days. Finally, it’s starting to come together. It’s taken a lot of work. The work is the thing to do.
We can’t have camp this year because of the pandemic. So, Coach Denisse Franco and I wrote a little song to share with the campers. Today, in Segundo Barrio, El Paso TX, some of the coaches will be distributing care packages with books, sports equipment and a zine with this song. It’s called Amigos de Basketball en el Barrio. Since 2016 I’ve been the music director at the best summer camp. It’s called Basketball in the Barrio and it is the most amazing sports, literacy, health and fitness, music, poetry, social justice, visual art camp you’ll ever experience. I wrote the tune and made the zine. Coach Denisse wrote the lyrics. I think you’ll agree that they are very fitting for this challenging time in our society. Here are the lyrics. Download a zine to help you learn the song here. A recording of me singing and playing the song is after the lyrics. Pronto jugaremos, sí. Yo te cuido y tú a mí. – Coach Denisse En Español Escribiendo, saltando, comiendo,Y canciones componiendo,Disfruto lo que aprendí,Todo lo que compartí.Aunque no esté en Armijo,Aún tengo a mis amigos,Basketball en el Barrio,Basketball en el Barrio.Hasta volvernos a ver,Cuídate y que estés bien,Pronto jugaremos, sí,Yo te cuido y tú a mí.Aunque no esté en Armijo,Aún tengo a mis amigos,Basketball en el Barrio,Basketball en el Barrio. In English Writing, jumping, eating – yum!Making songs is so much fun,I enjoy what I have learned,All the moments that we shared.Though I’m not in ArmijoI still have my amigosBasketball in the BarrioBasketball in the BarrioUntil we can meet again,Hope you’re well, take care my friend,Soon we’ll play, oh yes, indeed,I’ll care for you as you for meThough I’m not in ArmijoI still have my amigosBasketball in the BarrioBasketball in the Barrio
I don’t know about you, but as the social distancing continues, I sure am missing eating lunch with my friends. That made me think of this song that I wrote with some 3rd graders at Hibbard Elementary a few years ago. It’s rockin! Here is a recording of the song and a lyric and chord sheet that you can download to help you learn the song. Let me know if you learn to play and sing it!
Why do you play video games? Make music? Draw pictures?
Is it Skill and Achievement? Social? Money? Role playing?
Reflecting on a recent episode of Imaginary Worlds.
It’s Saturday and for many people that means pizza! Here’s a fun song to go along with your pizza party. Some second graders from Hibbard Elementary and I wrote this song in 2018. Here is a lyric and chord sheet that you can download to learn to play the song yourself!
For someone who is relatively new at playing music, learning a new tune, or a bunch of new tunes can be overwhelming. Because of this, I thought I would share my process for learning tunes. Maybe you’ll find it helpful to see how I do it. In this video I learn the tune Nancy on my harmonica. I learn an arrangement from my good friend, Jonas Friddle. I highly recommend checking out more of his music at jonasfriddle.com Enter your email address here to receive a free .pdf that accompanies this video essay.
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