The first half of the Bluegrass Basics course is now available in the classroom! It contains the techniques that are essential for bluegrass banjo. The second half will be the song section where we dive into particular tunes and will be up within a couple of days. Let's jam!

Yo Quiero Mas (I Want More) comes out today. And I wanted to share a little story about the song with you. Love is a powerful emotion. I would suggest, and often do, that love is the most powerful force in the universe. When you have love at your back, you can climb mountains, cross the seas, and open the heavens. Without it, we can wilt like a flower growing from the crack of the dried sands of Death Valley. Fortunately, we don't have to depend on others for love. It already exists in abundance in our heart and spirit. We just have to find it on a daily basis. Anyway...back to the song. I found love in Mexico. The heart of a beautiful woman, and mine, connected in a rare and special way. And because she speaks Spanish, I was trying to use the native language to share with her some of my feelings. In these communications came my phrase, yo quiero mas de ti. Which translates as "I want more of you." Well, apparently, this is a powerful phrase in Spanish, because it had quite the effect! The love story was touch and go. Planes going here and there, flights canceled, flights booked. Among the turbulence, I somehow convinced her to meet me in Puerto Escondido, a little beach town in Oaxaca, for the weekend. My schedule had me there a day early, so I booked a hotel, and made my way there. But because I didn't know the area and didn't speak the language to well. I booked a place that was 40 minutes out of town. Not only that, but it was surrounded by absolutely nothing. It was kind of a resort people go to get away from everything. They even shut down the kitchen at 3pm! So I ordered three hamburgers and several beers, and sat down with my banjo to settle in for the evening. What was I going to do? Well, I thought, I have time. I have food. I have beer. I have love. I have a banjo. I have pen and paper. That's when the song Yo Quiero Mas was born. I hope you enjoy it. And I hope it urges that love in your heart to soak in the sunshine. Much Love, aE Watch on YouTube

Thank you all for being here and challenging yourself to learn more about this incredible instrument and the music it can make! The cool thing about Skool (well there's lots of cool things...It also has an app for the phone), is that you can post here as well. Share anything you wish about banjo, music, travel, food, history, etc. The world is an amazing place, and keeping a curiosity and interest in it is a major health hack! The only rule - Keep it positive and uplifting. We are all here to share our love of banjo music and help each other along the path. Please share videos of your progress, things you would like to see that make the group better, and anything else that you want to contribute. Much Love, Andy

When I created Banjo Earth back in 2015, the tagline I started with was "Peace through Music. Community through Creation." That remains the motto to this day, simply because it describes the essence and spirit of Banjo Earth. Peace through Music - Music, like any technology, can be a unifying or divisive force. It just depends on how you use it. The folk music of different cultures all around the world have attracted me my entire life. The reason is because I feel its unifying energy. When I listen to a sitar from India, or Pipa from China, I feel closer and more connected to my human family. Community through Creation - Another mission of Banjo Earth is to bring people together through sharing our music and stories. After collaborating with incredible musicians around the world, we often become lifelong friends. I am able to gather more respect and information on their culture and story, as they are of my Appalachian heritage. This creation of art makes connections that otherwise wouldn't be there. And in my opinion, the world is better for it. Banjo Earth Community - A wonderful side effect of this journey has been the community that has gathered around Banjo Earth. Fans, Friends, Supporters, Musicians, and so many great folks have coalesced behind the mission, music, and movies. I am so thankful for it all, and I'm super excited that you are here as a part of it. The Banjo Earth School - The Reason why you and I are both here. Banjo is an incredible instrument, and has brought so much joy to my life. I can remember the first song I learned, Bile Dem Cabbage Down, like it was yesterday. But the truth, it was 30 years ago! Since then, I've learned banjo from some amazing masters, traveled all over the world and absorbed the music of different cultures, and even added some of my own flavors along the way. I've recently realized that I have a lot of lessons, knowledge, and insights that I can share with up and coming banjo players. Whether you just picked up the banjo today, or you've been playing for years, my sincere wish is that you find the information here that will boost your banjo journey into another stratosphere. Also, I my aim is to build a community of fun loving banjo enthusiasts all sharing our passion for this beautiful and crazy instrument. Thank you for being a part of this community!

Hi, Andy. I may not be able to contribute to your projects as I have in the past, but please know that I support your mission of Peace through Music, Community through Creation 100%. Keep doing!