WELCOME . . .
To new and returning Groove Band members! ALL acoustic instruments, percussion and voices can participate in our youth performances at Old Songs and Philadelphia Folk Festivals. From ages 6 to 17, you’ll find many ways to make music with us. You’ll need at least a school year on an instrument, with no prior experience needed for singers. Old Songs also hosts a second instrumental ensemble that picks and performs their own piece.
Download a sheet music pdf below for your instrument. Rhythm players, singers: download violin for chord charts and lyrics.
violin, viola, cello, C flute, Bb clarinet, Bb trumpet, Eb alto sax
Each song or tune offers varying levels of instrumental difficulty. Listen and play what suits your skills, or maybe use these parts to push yourself to a new level! If you’re taking lessons, you might want to share the music with your teacher. In the end, each of you decides on a part, whether it’s the melody, a more complicated version of the melody, a harmony or countermelody, or an easier harmony or backup line. All these choices are reviewed in our smaller groups at the festival. Now, with the music in your hands, you can listen:
AUDIO FILES . . .
Our stage show begins with classic Old-Time song and tune Shady Grove in A minor. We’ll choose which verses to sing in our rehearsals.
Shady Grove – all parts
Audio PlayerOur second (instrumental) tune is the Irish lament The Mermaid in D major, followed at Old Songs by a teen ensemble piece to be chosen by them.
The Mermaid – all parts
Audio PlayerCelebrating twenty years at Old Songs, we’re reprising Woody Guthrie’s American anthem, This Land is Your Land, with vocal and instrumental arrangements (including horn lines!) in the key of C major. We’ll assemble everything (all verses) and practice at the festival. Groove Band faculty member and Martha’s Vineyard school music teacher Brian Weilland will conduct this show-stopper!
This Land is Your Land – all parts
Audio PlayerArrangements are © 2017 Donna Hébert, with Lui Collins (winds/horns), Max Cohen (chord charts), and Molly Hebert-Wilson (vocals).
REHEARSALS . . . RELEASES . . . FACEBOOK PAGE . . .
Old Songs Festival rehearsals begin Friday afternoon June 23 at 3:30 at the 1895 Carriage House (Area 2) and continue there Saturday and Sunday mornings at 9:15, with the Great Groove Band opening the Main Stage Sunday afternoon show. Parents are encouraged to get their front-row seats early!
Philly Folk Fest rehearsals begin Friday morning August 18 at 9:30 at the Lobby Stage, continue there at 9:30 for two more days, opening the Main Stage show at 4 pm. Sunday.
Each Old Songs & Philly Folk Fest participating parent signs a release allowing the festival and the program to use images or video of the group in their public outreach (typically a YouTube video in the Groove Band collection and a link on this site or the festival sites).
SIGNUP with mollyhebertwilson@gmail.com after buying family tickets. Under 12 admitted free at both festivals. If you want to share your own video footage with us, we have a private Facebook page just for the Groove Band. Knock (email Molly, see above) and we’ll let you in!