2nd Grade - Mi Burrito Sabanero

Hi 2nd grade -- here is our second song, "Mi Burrito Sabanero." I couldn't find a recording in the correct key so made one of my own. A bit froggy on my part, but you get the idea.

3rd Grade - "I Have a Little Dreidel" - Recorder Tutorial

Hello again, Third Grade -- here's the tutorial for "Dreidel" we talked about in class. Remember, practicing a few minutes each day with pay off big time.

String Band - "One Love"

Roscomare Music - One Love from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hi String Band -- here's a video on how to play "One Love" by Bob Marley. It's longer, but covers how to make the four chords you will need, how to strum, and how to play both parts of the song

TK - "Ise Oluwa"

Hello again. In addition to video I will also be posting audio clips for the kids to practice to. Just click on the play button to hear the track, in this case "Ise Oluwa," a song from Nigeria. The words mean "nothing that the creator has made can every truly be destroyed."

The second track is to help the kids pronounce the words. We will also be working on this in class.

TK - "Little Snowflake"

Greetings TK families and friends - I will be posting practice material for the students to use at home and for teachers to use in the classroom for our Holiday show which will on December 14. More information about the show will be coming, but meanwhile, here is cute video with one of the two songs the TK's will be singing in the show. Hope you like it! TK

4th Grade - "Zemir Atik"

Hello again 4th graders -- here's our other song "Zemir Atik." As I told you in class, the melody is very old. The words which were probably added more recently mean: "We will return again to an ancient melody and the song will linger on. When we raise our glasses together our eyes and hearts will be bright. How good are our tents because there's dancing there. How good are our tents, still we return to an ancient melody." I am supplying you with a vocal music track and the words. Hopefully you will find a moment this week in your tents between the dancing the the glass raising to give it a listen.

4th Grade - "Winter Wonderland"

Hi Fourth Grade. Here is a practice video for one of two songs, "Winter Wonderland." Concentrate on learning the words. We will work on learning the parallels in class next week!

1st Grade - "Chicken Soup With Rice"

Hi First Grade. Our first song for the Festival of Winter Songs is "Chicken Soup With Rice," by Carol King, based on the Maurice Sendak book. It's a long song, but if you can remember the months of the year, you are halfway home!

Kindergarten - "We Wish You A Merry Christmas"

Hello again Kinder. Here's our other song, the classic carol "We Wish You A Merry Christmas. "

5th Grade -- "This Christmas"

Our other song is the Donny Hathaway classic, "This Christmas." Don't mind the cheesy crackling fire effect. Just concentrate on singing it like Hathaway does -- smooth and soulful!

5th Grade - "T'zena, T'zena, T'zena"

Hi Fifth graders -- our first holiday show song is "Tzena, Tzena, Tzena." It was written in 1941 by Issachar Miron and became a hit song for the Weavers, featuring Pete Seeger, shortly after WWII.

Many of you already do an excellent job with the Hebrew pronunciations in the first verse, but if you need some help I am also including a pronunciation track.

3rd Grade - "I Have A Little Dreidel"

Hi Third Grade -- here's the video of "I Have a Little Dreidel," our second song for the Holiday concert. I will get your the recorder part shortly. For now, please focus on learning the words.

Kindergarten - "Oh Hanukkah"

Oh Hanukkah from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Hello students, teachers and families. Here is a practice video for "Oh Hanukkah," one of the two songs we will be singing at the Roscomare Road Winter Holiday show on December 19. As we discussed in class, I would like you to focus on the fact that some of the notes are low, some medium and some high and really concentrate on singing them correctly.

3rd Grade - "Good King Wenceslas"

Hi Third Grade. Here is the first of our two songs for the Winter Concert -- Good King Wenceslas. Use the video to learn the piece, but also use the sheet music provided in class.
Three Minute Recorder - "Good King Wenceslas 2017" from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

String Band -- Skin & Bones

Hi again, Roadrunners. Here is the practice video for "Skin and Bones," which we are planning to play at the Halloween Parade. The best way to use the video is to watch it all the way through then go back and stop and start on the sections where you need the work. The music is also posted here and in your song book. Try to focus on one little challenge each time. Before you know it you'll be playing there whole thing!

String Band -- Ukulele Tuner

Greetings Roadrunners -- from time to time I will post video here for you to practice with at home. This first video focuses on tuning. It is important that your strings are set to a certain "interval" from each other, and this video will show you how to set that up. Note -- the online tuner discussed in the video can be found by clicking on the link on the right under my links where it says ukulele tuner.

Ukulele Tuning 2019 from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

Good Riddance Strings Break - Part 2

Hi again Strings players. Here is a practice video that will help you prepare the next 8 measures of the strings break in Good Riddance. We worked on this in class a little less so you might want to spend a bit more time on it here. Still -- don't spend more than 15 minutes a day on both videos, unless you really want to.

Good Riddance Strings Break - Part 1

Hi Strings players. Here is a practice video that will help you prepare the first 8 measures of the strings break in Good Riddance. I'd say if you were running through each part of the video three time each day, you'll be in fine shape by next week.

Culmination Song 3 -- "I Lived"

For our 3rd culmination we are doing the One Republic song, "I Lived." Individual singers will sing on the first two verses with the group singing all other parts. We will also develop some bucket drum accompaniment.

Culmination Song 2 -- "This is Me"

Our second culmination song is "This Is Me" from the movie, the World's Greatest Showman. Like our third song, "I Lived" our arrangement calls for several singers to "solo" on individual limes in the verses with everybody joining in on the chorus.

Culmination Song 1 - Good Riddance (Time of Your Life)

Hello Fifth Graders -- I have put videos with lyrics for all three culmination songs on the blog so you can practice at home. Our first song is Good Riddance (the Time of Your Life) by Green Day, On this song everybody sings all the words and we will cover the guitar part with ukuleles. We will also play the strings part on violins and cellos.

2019 Culture Day -- Fifth Grade -- "All Blues"

Finally, Fifth Grade danced to Miles Davis's 1950's classic "All Blues," as the conclusion to their Jazz unit. Working is small groups the students choreographed individual solos by Davis, Cannonball Adderley, and John Coltrane.

2019 Culture Day -- Fourth Grade -- "Troika"

Fourth Grade danced the "Troika," another great traditional Russian dance. It's even fun to say!

2019 Culture Day -- Third Grade -- "Ungaresca"

Third Graders danced to the medieval Hungarian tune, "Ungaresca." Like many dances of that era it included a section in duple meter and triple meter.

2019 Culture Day -- Second Grade -- "Tideo"

Second grade danced the 19th century American play party with accompaniment provided by the Roscomare Roadrunner String band and Recorder Consort.

2019 Culture Day -- First Grade -- "Khorovod"

The First Graders danced the first of two traditional dances, this one to the song "Khorovod." The dance and song represent the planting cycle.

2019 Culture Day -- Kindergarten -- "Ve David (Hora)"

Meanwhile, Ms. Unger's and Ms. McKillop's classes danced the Hora to the Isreali song, "Ve David."

2019 Culture Day -- Kindergarten -- "Cheshm, Cheshm, Doo Abroo"

Ms. Lilly's and Ms. Rauch's class danced to a pop music version of the Persian Nursery Rhyme, "Cheshm, Cheshm, Doo Abroo," with choreography they helped create.

2019 Culture Day - Recorder String Band and Recorder Consort - "Ahri Rang"

Happy Purim, Nowruz, Purim, Holi... There are many holidays associated with the arrival of Spring from many different cultures. On Friday, March 22, the students at Roscomare Road paid tribute to some of those cultures, beginning with Ahri Rang, a folk song from Korea, perfornaced by the Roadrunner String Band and Recorder Consort.

Musical Illustration -- "Zomo The Rabbit"

Zomo the Rabbit - 2019 version from Richard Lawton on Vimeo.

For the last several weeks the First Grade glasses have been adapting the book Zomo the Rabbit by Gerald McDermott, by "illustrating" it, using music and movement ideas. The performance yesterday was terrific! Here's a video capture.