If you haven’t heard of pBone Music yet, you need to check them out. Here’s an introduction from their website:
We are the team behind an award-winning range of instruments. Our innovative designs have seen us create the world’s bestselling trombone, pBone, and a whole host of other plastic musical instruments. From pBuzz to pTrumpet and beyond, our instruments are helping to create more musicians in a fun, sustainable way.
Music Educators around the world are using these instruments in their classrooms to introduce students to instrumental music in an affordable and super fun way! The simplicity of the pBuzz makes it ideal for adding instruments to general music classes, even for elementary students. But older students are just as engaged because it’s so fun to play.
Their website is packed with free educator resources too! Start here: https://pbonemusic.com/teacher-resources
We caught up with Ramon Rivera after his presentation at the Modern Band Summit in Fort Collins, Colorado. The Modern Band model is a great fit for introducing pBone instruments, and the workshop drew a huge crowd of music teachers ready to learn the basics of the pBuzz from Rivera.
Rivera has generously shared his teaching resources from that workshop with us and you can download the PowerPoint slides below. This presentation includes “getting started” on buzzing, learning the notes of the pBuzz, and sheet music and YouTube links for play-along tracks to use with your students. These slides are a great companion to the “pBuzz Journey” book, which is free to download from the pBone website (find it here: https://blog.pbonemusic.com/newpbuzzjourney) or you can purchase a printed copy from Hal Leonard.
You can download Rivera’s presentation below, to help you introduce the pBuzz in your classroom.
Ramon Rivera, a Mariachi Music Educator, is a distinguished figure in the field of music education, serving as the Director of Mariachi in the Mount Vernon School District in Mount Vernon, Washington.
Mr. Rivera has been heralded as a trailblazer, receiving numerous awards and accolades for his dedication and innovative approach to teaching. As a respected clinician, he has shared his expertise through classes and workshops throughout the United States
Mr. Rivera’s contributions to music education have been recognized on both state and national levels, earning him prestigious honors including The Washington State Golden Apple Award, Seattle Seahawks Latino Leader of the Year, and the CMA Foundation National Teacher of Excellence.
Notably, Mr. Rivera’s School Mariachi Group has had the honor of performing for renowned figures such as Garth Brooks, George Lopez, Pepe Aguilar, and Mariachi Sol de Mexico, captivating audiences at festivals across the United States.
In 2023, Mr. Rivera continues to exemplify excellence as the Washington State Music Teacher of the Year
Ramon Rivera
Email:[email protected]
Instagram: [email protected]
Webpage: www.ramonrivera.org
