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Instruments

Amigos de Basketball en el Barrio – New Song

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
Banjo

Lager in a Pickle Jar – New Banjo Tune!

The title of this tune was inspired by a banjo video that Jonas Friddle recently published on Youtube. I didn’t have an empty pickle jar to put a lager in, so I opted to include a jar of pickles. Here is Lager in a Pickle Jar! And here is the video that inspired the title.
'Ukulele

Let’s Have a Pizza Party! – Songwriting with 2nd Grade

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!
'Ukulele

How I Learn Old Time Tunes – Learning to Play the Tune, Nancy, from a Recording by Jonas Friddle

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.
Goals and Education

Rain, Rain Go Away – First Guitar Lesson

Here is a quick guitar lesson for total beginners. This is my usual first lesson for both youth and adult musicians. If you can do this, you can do anything on the guitar! This will get you started. If you do get started with this lesson and are looking for some more in depth study, let me know! I’ve moved all of my teaching online for the time being and would love to meet with you. We’ll have you playing in no time! Here’s the Rain, Rain Go Away video lesson and here is a free download of the lyric and melody sheet.
'Ukulele

How to Find the Minor 2 (ii) Chord in a Major Scale – Video Lesson

During this challenging time of life I’ve been inspired by the Marquette Makers’ Project to keep busy with some creative work. I’ve made a lot of lessons like this, but this is the first one where I used a virtual whiteboard and recorded my voice along with the drawings I made on the whiteboard.  It turned out pretty well and I learned a lot! In the video I mention two songs that use the minor 2 chord.  Here are lyric and chord sheet for those to songs Old Devil Time by Pete Seeger Hungry Heart by Bruce Springsteen [vimeo http://vimeo.com/400364601] Here is the weekly schedule for Marquette Makers’ Projects during the physical separation from our communities.  Cool stuff.  I’m excited to see what people are working on.
Harmonica

Music Video for “Juice Box” – a new song for youth musicians

Thank you to Huxley and Theo for their help making this music video for my song, Juice Box!  This song was written with young students like them in mind. I you’d like to learn the song yourself, you can listen to just the audio recording and download a FREE handout to help you learn the song, here. The handout has the chords, standard notation, and harmonica notation. It also has the chords, standard notation and harmonica notation for Twinkle Twinkle Little Star! Now presenting JUICE BOX! [vimeo 392866503 w=640 h=360]  
Goals and Education

Recap: Family Harmonica at Winter Roots Festival

Wow! What great musicianship at the packed house for Family Harmonica Workshop at Saturday’s 2020 Winter Roots Folk Festival! Most of the attendees had never played the harmonica before and they plowed through ALL of my teaching material for the day. Three of the songs were the classics – Hot Cross Buns, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star and Boil ’em Cabbage Down. The last was an original song by me called Juice Box (which you can learn to play here.) We even had some juice boxes at the end to celebrate our music. Looking forward to another opportunity to play together! Photos and video by Susan Rutter Divine, Katy Divine and Sue Demel. [vimeo 392247139 w=640 h=1138]  

Juice Box – A Harmonica Song for Youth Musicians – Notation Download a Audio Recording

Hi everyone, Today I’m teaching my first workshop as part of Winter Roots Festival in Marquette, MI.  In honor of this big day I wrote a new song for you to learn on your harmonica!  It’s called Juice Box and it’s all about everyone’s favorite drink . . . a juice box! Here is some recordings of me singing and playing the song. The first recording is just the harmonica part.  The second is my harmonica, my guitar and my voice. You can download a FREE .pdf of the notation of this song.  Print it double-sided an cut the paper along the dotted line to make your own zine!  The zine also has the notation to another favorite song, Twinkle Twinkle Little Star.  

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