LA Scratch Academy & Musical Adventures in Los Angeles

LA Scratch Academy

We’re just back from wonderful trip to Southern California. 2 highlights were unlikely musical adventures. On Monday afternoon we spent 4 hours jamming with HAPA, a master DJ who started the LA Scratch Academy. We saw/heard him do an amazing piece at a pre-GRAMMY event and contacted him to see if he’d be in to collaborating. His first time hearing live banjo, mandolin and uke, our first time working with "beats" and the DJ collage tapestry. More will come of this., The Academy also runs a 6 week summer camp for kids & we’re hoping to participate in that adventure this summer.

Then, a studio session with our friend Mike Stein, who is a Cantor in LA (after 20 years fiddling and yodeling with the Navy’s country band, Country Current). Mike spent much of the summer in Uganda, recording music from the Jewish Community there. He brought home some amazing community music and is adding tracks to it in LA for future release. Two of his sons joined on bass & mandolin, both fine musicians. Kids, who came to our kids concerts years ago, grown up now and following in Dad’s musical footsteps. Another great day and musical adventure.