Serving the North Bay Area with educational & enrichment programs in traditional roots music & musicianship.



Steve Gardner,
Artistic Director





Javier Jimenez,
Gypsy Jazz & Private Lesson Instructor

LessonsWorkshopsSpecial Events.

The Hottest Trad Styles!


NOW Enrolling!
April 2013 Classes/Workshops

  • Irish & British Isles Song Workshop!


In Session!
March - April 2013

  • Klezmer Ensemble!
  • Gypsy Jazz Guitar!
  • Intro to Swing Guitar!
  • Beyond I,IV,V: Adventurous Folk Guitar!





 Private Lessons now available!


  • Old Time Fiddle
  • Irish Fiddle
  • Basic Violin
  • Mandolin
  • Guitar
  • Concertina
  • Uilleann pipes
  • Irish (wooden) flute



 

Announcements & News






Irish & British Isles Song Session Pub Sing!
We had lots of fun on March 13th at Muir Beach's Pelican Inn!
(A cozier St. Patrick's Day celebration)
Last class session, our Irish & British Isles Song & Performance class met and sang songs at the Pelican Inn in Muir Beach!  The setting, a perfect reconstruction of a cozy 16th c. English Inn & Pub, was inspiring! 

We were joined by other Roots people, family and friends of the singers - and patrons of the pub and inn as well.  Michael Black, our Irish & British Isles Workshop instructor, expertly guided the proceedings and even endeared us to some patrons who - at first - just wanted to play darts without the inconvenience of a bunch of singers!  On his way out, one of the dart players even bought us all a bottle of honey meade to share! 

For those of you who missed it, consider signing up for our Irish  & British Isles Song Workshop starting this April 17th!






We DANCED Like it was 1829!

A pleasurable, worry-free FUN time was had by all on March 7th, Thursday evening, at "Jane Austen's Ball", the Grand Finale of our English Country Dance Music Intensive!  All dances were taught on the spot.  Our musical instructor was Shira Kammen, and our dance caller was Mary Luckhardt.



2013MarchEnglishDanceRootsVideo.mp3


What we sounded like - best around 2:49
(The background voices/sounds are the DANCE CALLER and the dancers - over 30 dancers!)



 

Swing, Folk, & Gypsy Jazz!

Thanks to Sylvia Herold & Javier Jimenez and everyone who came to our FREE Swing, Folk, & Gypsy Jazz Workshop earlier this year.   It was a great time!  If you missed it, you can learn all of what we covered, and lots more, in our current guitar workshop offerings with Sylvia and Javier!





 

Exciting stuff for Spring here at Roots!

Roots is enrolling NOW for it's LAST WORKSHOP UNTIL SEPTEMBER - Our Irish &  British Isles Song Workshop!  Some of our classes run for 6 weeks, others 8 weeks - and they are usually 90 minutes in duration.

Irish & British Isles Song Workshop
Our "Irish & British Isles Song Workshop" hosted by the Bay Area and Ireland's own song-keeper Michael Black - is back in session just in time for St. Patrick's Day!  This session focuses on those songs you can sing in and with a crowd at the pub, which is where the last class is always held!
The new song session class starts April 17th!



These classes represent are among our last classes until September - and are already in session!  Feel free to peruse them to get an idea of what will be among our offerings come September 2013!  Some of these classes run for 6 weeks, others 8 weeks - and they are usually 90 minutes in duration.

Gypsy Jazz Guitar (continuation)

Our Gypsy Jazz class with Javier Jimenez of Beso Negro is so popular, that the students wouldn't leave.... AND they get more advanced each time!  SO... this class is for experienced high intermediate level to advanced level guitarists.  Check out the class info here, and if you're interested, preregister then PHONE to talk about whether this class is right for you!

Irish & British Isles Song Workshop
Our "Irish & British Isles Song Workshop" hosted by the Bay Area and Ireland's own song-keeper Michael Black - is back in session just in time for St. Patrick's Day!  This session focuses on those songs you can sing in and with a crowd at the pub, which is where the last class is always held!
The new song session class starts April 17th!


Guitar Workshops

Sylvia Herold, of The Rhythm Bugs, Euphonia, and other incarnations of swing has begun teaching not one, but two classes with Roots Music Marin.  "Intro to Swing Guitar" and "Beyond I, IV, V: Adventurous Folk Guitar" starts again March 18th!

Jane Austen's Ball - English Country Dance Music
Have you seen the"teacup drama" movies "Pride & Prejudice" or "Sense & Sensibility"?  Better yet, have you read the books?  There's always a sumptuous ball, with exquisite music. THAT's English Country Dance music - not what everyone thinks of as "roots", but definitely traditional, and definitely country.  Think "classical music lite in 16 bars, with all the hard bits and extra positions rubbed out, with extra room for frosting, frills, and improvisationShira Kammen - a veteran of several early music groups, including Ensemble Alcatraz and The King's Noyse, put the newly minted chamber ensemble through its paces, and the class hosted a dance on March 7th! (See the news with picture and sound recording above)!

Calendar


March & April 2013
Monday - Friday
Mornings to 6:00 pm: Private Lessons
Noon to 6:00 pm: Practice & Play

Mondays
7:00 pm, Intro to Swing Guitar Workshop with Sylvia Herold (Starts again March 18th)
8:30 pm, Beyond I, IV, V - Adventurous Folk Guitar! with Sylvia Herold
(Starts again March 18th)


Wednesdays
6:00 pm, Gypsy Jazz (Continuation) Workshop with Javier Jimenez (Starts again March 20th)
8:00 pm, Irish & British Isles Song & Performance Workshop with Michael Black (Continuing)

Thursdays

7:30 pm, Klezmer Ensemble with Julie Egger
7:30 pm, Americana Band Workshop with Steve Gardner


Fridays/Saturdays/Sundays
Studio 55 Concerts at 8:00 pm (unless another time noted)



Saturday, April 6th
InVOC with Pollyanna Bush

inVoc is an exciting new adult vocal ensemble directed by longtime beloved Bay Area singer-songwriter performer and vocal coach, Pollyanna Bush, who works out of her Fairfax studio Alley Cats Music School.

Advance tickets $18...  $20 at the door.   Check out the shows and buy tickets here!


Saturday, April 28th
Manring Kassin Darter

Separately, Michael Manring, Larry Kassin, and Tom Darter have extensive, multi-faceted careers as musicians. Together, Manring Kassin Darter plays provocative, complex compositions - music that tears down stylistic walls and refuses to be compartmentalized. While listeners can hear echoes of classical, jazz, rock, folk, avant-garde, and world music in their performances, the net result is something completely new: chamber music for the new century.

Advance tickets $13...  $15 at the door.   Check out the shows and buy tickets here!



Extra! Extra!

The young man looked resolved.  With calm determination he approached his father and said, "Dad, I want to be a musician when I grow up."  His father, somewhat confused, responded "But son, you have to choose one or the other."


You're driving down the street and you see an accordion and a banjo - which one do you hit first?

Click HERE for the answer!

Know a good music or musician joke?  email us!
Roots Music Marin |  1455 East Francisco Boulevard, Suite A, San Rafael, CA 94901 |  415- 938-PLAY (7529)