The Adventures of Banjo Mouse in the Appalachian Mountains

Home , Down from the Mountain, The McLain Family Band

MOUSIE HiWAY

A Song & Fable by folksinger MICHAEL JOHNATHON Mousie HiWay The Adventures of Banjo Mouse in the Appalachian Mountains

©2018 by Michael Johnathon/Rachel-Aubrey Music, Inc./BMI Story and songs, graphics, layout and design by Michael Johnathon Music copyright: ©Rachel-Aubrey Music, Inc/BMI and available on PoetMan Records CDs and Digital.

PMR70027 published by POETMAN RECORDS USA P.O. Box 200, Lexington, KY 40588

Mousie HiWay music transcription by JOHN ROBERTS

All rights reserved. No portion of this book may be duplicated for resale or copied for publishing in any media without express written permission from the author. The only exception is for use in short quotes by literary reviewers.

However, the writer grants permission to any teacher, musician or other brave souls who wish to quote, copy or sing anything from this book for classroom or personal use which just about renders the above disclaimer useless.

BOOK and COMPACT DISC ISBN: 978-0-692-06050-6 LIBRARY of CONGRESS Control: 2018932157 Special thanks to Doug Oines, Faith Quesenberry, Loretta Sawyer, Bryan Klausing, Jeff Myers, Ruth McLain and the McLain Family Band, Rob Ickes, Homer & Colista Ledford, Ray Slone, Ansell Campbell, Rick Marks, Ron Pen, Doug Boyd, Melissa & the Twins, April Duckworth, Kristen R. Branscum, Mary Quinn Ramer Martin Guitar Company, Greg and Janet Deering and all my SongFarmer friends.

Dedicated to Melody, Rachel, MichaelB, Makayla & Caleb

For additional copies of this book visit: MichaelJohnathon.com/MousieHiWay This is a story about Banjo Mouse and his friends Fiddle Fox Doggy Dobro Mando Moose Kitty Guitar Little Bitty Beaver

as they journey through the beautiful Appalachian mountains and discover friendship & bluegrass music!

1 This is the adventure of Banjo Mouse He didn’t have a bed and he didn’t have a house But he had a lot of friends where ever he’d go 'cause he knew a bunch of songs on the ol’ banjo

HEY KIDS: Banjo Mouse and his friends in our story book play a style of music called “bluegrass.” A musician named Bill Monroe helped create bluegrass music from his home in Kentucky. Many folks across the Appalachian mountains would play old-time and bluegrass music on their front porches as the sun would go down. So many people love the sound of bluegrass music that it’s spreading on front porches all over the world! 2 HEY KIDS: Did you know where the banjo comes from? Africa ... yes the place across the mighty Atlantic Ocean. It was made out of a gourd and a stick with just two strings. Then someone else made it have four strings. About 100 years ago adding the little 5th string became very popular ... and that’s how we got the ringing sound of the banjo today! 3 Then one night in the Appalachian hills He heard a lonesome sound and everything got still In the silvery moon just sittin’ on a rock He found a new friend named Fiddle Fox

4 HEY KIDS: Did you know that a FIDDLE and a VIOLIN are the exact same instrument? Usually when someone says they play the violin it means they can also read notes. But you don’t have to know how to read music notes to play an instrument, just listen real close with your heart and your ears and play it with your hands. You can do it! The fiddle is a very old instrument that came to us from Europe hundreds of years ago. Lots of folks play the fiddle because it’s so much fun ... plus it’s easy to carry around. 5 Well, he and Fiddle Fox played all night long They played a lot of tunes, sang a lot of songs But when the sun came up they had no place to go Till they met a new friend named Doggy Dobro

6 HEY KIDS: Have you ever tried to play a Dobro? It’s easy to learn. The instrument looks like a guitar with a hubcap on it and it makes a wonderful sound. The instrument was born in 1928 when two brothers, John and Emil Dopyera, invented it and named it after their family. Most music stores have a resonator guitar, nicknamed a Dobro, that you can try out. It’s great to explore new sounds! 7 When Doggy played the dobro he could bend those notes He would bend them up high and bend them down low With the fiddle and the banjo they would laugh and shout It was a dream come true for Banjo Mouse

8 HEY KIDS: Do you know what the easiest way to get better on an instrument is? Nope, not music lessons. It’s playing with other folks who play, too. Sitting on a front porch, backyard or on a living room couch with other players and picking some tunes. When you go to a folk or bluegrass festival, do you know where the BEST music happens? Nope, not on the big stage ... it’s in the parking lots and camp grounds. The best way to learn an instrument is to make music with family and friends who love music, just like you! 9 But now, the whole band knew something was a-missin’ You could hear it so plain, you could hear it if you listen So they mumbled, and they grumbled, till they knew the truth When up from a holler came Mando Moose

10 HEY KIDS: Here is a wonderful instrument that a lot of kids are starting to learn. It comes from the lute family of instruments and was very popular during Medieval times in Europe. The mandolin is basically just four sets of two strings. The fret board is not very large so smaller hands that kids have, like you, fit perfectly on a mandolin. Of course, Banjo Mouse has a lot of friends ... and some grown ups might say, “I’ve never seen a moose in Appalachia!” but folks travel a lot these days and it’s nice to have friends from everywhere! 11 Mando Moose had mando lovin’ He could play his mandolin, even when he was a-runnin’ He could play it so fast he had everybody shoutin’ And it echoed through the hollers of Blue Moon Mountain

12 HEY KIDS: Can you guess why folks in Appalachia call the space between the mountains a “holler”? It has nothing to do with hollering, or yelling at folks. It is another way of saying “hollow.” In other words, it’s the hollow space between two mountains where they would put a road. Usually, that’s also where the creek would flow. A fun thing about a holler between the mountains is there is often a really amazing echo as well. Folks would sit on their porches in the evening, pick some songs and actually hear the music echo down the holler.

13 Now, Banjo Mouse knew they wouldn’t get far They had a real fine band but they needed one more. So, he wondered and he pondered and he wished upon a star And down from a hill came Kitty Guitar

14 HEY KIDS: The guitar is one of the most popular and easy-to-learn instruments in the whole world. It’s been around for a long time, over 1,000 years, that’s why it’s so popular. Millions of people play the guitar. In a bluegrass band, the guitar is not plugged in so you don’t need an amplifier. A guitar has six strings and the neck has frets on it. The frets make it very easy to play in tune. 15 She was a six-string Kitty that could pick and sing Banjo Mouse made the banjo ring No one played the fiddle like Fiddle Fox could And Doggy Dobro made the song sound good

16 ?

HEY KIDS: Who’s missing in this picture? Can you get a pencil and draw in the missing character? Drawing with a pencil is fun because if you think you made a mistake, you can just erase it and start over ... it’s kind of like practicing a musical instrument. Mistakes are fine, it’s part of what happens before you get really, really good! 17 But Banjo Mouse stopped and said: “Hey, wait a minute ...... we have a real fine band but there’s something not in it! We all want to play a real big show but the show won’t go unless we play it down low.”

HEY KIDS: Have you noticed that Banjo Mouse and his friends are not completely colored in? Do you know why? Because we want you to feel free to color in the pages yourself. You can even draw your own background, like trees and hills. Have you ever been to the Appalachian Mountains? It is very beautiful and that is where bluegrass music became popular and spread all over the world. 18 19 And then from the bushes came a rumblin’ sound It shook all the trees and it rattled the ground And down from the mountain with a smile on his face came Little Bitty Beaver with a great big bass

20 HEY KIDS: Can you imagine playing something as big and tall as a bass? The kind of bass Little Bitty Beaver plays is called an Upright Bass. Some folks call it a Double Bass. Others call is a Stand Up Bass (because you have to stand to play it). In bluegrass bands a lot of folks call it a Dog House Bass. It has a lot of names, but it’s the same ding-dang bass! Whatever you call it, the bass has a wonderful, low tone that makes the Mousie HiWay Band sound great. Just because you’re not a tall person doesn’t mean you can’t try to play the Bass! 21 Well, from Blue Moon Mountain to the hollers all around The people all gathered for that bluegrass sound And they sang and they cheered again and again Everybody loves the Mousie HiWay Band!

• •

22 Sing the “Mousie HiWay” song with Banjo Mouse and the Mousie HiWay Band ... nice and loud!

Up and Down the Mousie HiWay Blue Moon Mountain here we go! Up and Down the Mousie HiWay County line not far to go Up, Down Mousie HiWay Singin’ every song we know Friendly people wavin’ my way Playin’ on the old banjo!

23 Do you know how to read notes? It’s not hard to learn and music notes let you see exactly what the melody is. The chords (the letters above the music) help you play along on any instrument: guitars, banjos, even a piano.

The notes and chords to “Mousie HiWay”

G C D G

G C G D G

24 Do you know how to read TABLATURE? Musicians call it “tab” for short. A tab tells you where to put your fingers on the instrument. If you’re learning the banjo, this is the tab for the Mousie HiWay song. It’s not hard to learn!

Here’s the banjo TAB to “Mousie HiWay”

25 CLASSROOM MOUSIE HIWAY Lesson Plans K-4 The Adventures of Banjo Mouse in Appalachia

Introduction: Mousie HiWay is the story of Banjo Mouse and his journey through the Appalachian Mountains. Banjo Mouse didn’t have a home of his own, yet he was blessed with plenty of friends throughout his journey, because he knew so many songs on his banjo. His music brings people together. This aspect of the story will allow the children to understand and make connections to the way that music encourages a sense of family, friendship, and togetherness. It’s fun! Students will also realize that it takes cooperation to make an entire band, and that through friend - ship, this is possible. Banjo Mouse and the friends that join him along the way, form the Mouse HiWay Band. Banjo Mouse meets several friends along his journey through the Appalachian Mountains: Fiddle Fox, Doggy Dobro, Mando Moose, Kitty Guitar , and Little Bitty Beaver.

Goals: • Students will understand the way that music brings us together and creates friendships, and is fun! • Students will understand the history of Bill Monroe, Bluegrass Music, Kentucky and Appalachia • Students will understand the instruments featured and the history of them • Activities may vary depending on grade level and teacher modifications

Activity 1: Begin by gathering students to sit in a circle. Then, ask them questions to access prior knowledge. For example, ask the students what they know about the banjo. Other questions may include, “What is your favorite instrument?” “Do you know what Bluegrass music is?” “Do you play a musical instrument?” “Do you know what the word Appalachia means?” Asking questions to access prior knowledge, will encourage the students to make connections to the story as you read. Then, read the story to your class and show the pictures to accompany each page. Let the students know that after you have read the story, there will be time to ask questions and discuss it. As part of the discussion, ask students how they feel Banjo Mouse brought the band together by playing his banjo.

Activity 2: Ask the students to draw a picture of a band that they imagine. Encourage the students to use different characters than in Mousie HiWay, but have them think about the way that Banjo Mouse met all of his friends along the way. Encourage them to assemble a band, in which they all must work together to perform. This activity will encourage creative thinking, and also emphasize the importance of working together and the way that music brings people together. Music offers a sense of community.

Activity 3: Have students sit in a circle again, I find this encourages good discussion, and ask them questions about the instruments featured in the story. Then, after discussing them, talk to the students about Bill Monroe. Explain to them that he helped create Bluegrass music from his home in Kentucky, and from his very own front porch! Then, play a Bill Monroe song, and let them know they can dance if they choose! They can tap their feet, clap their hands, or just listen if they want. This should likely be an activity where students have a limit on the space to ensure it re - mains calm and they are able to really hear the sounds of the instruments.

Activity 4: The final activity is for students to draw their own photos of the instruments featured in Mousie HiWay. Also, encourage the students to feature a front porch, mountains, and their family or friends that they would want to create and share music with, and that are special to them.

For all artistic aspects involved, let the students know their work will be displayed in the hallway or in the classroom, which will encourage them to do their very best work. Have fun and allow them to really take in the message that music encourages friendship, as refer - enced by the way Banjo Mouse forms the Mousie HiWay Band.

Connection to Standards: • Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work • Develop and refine artistic technique and work for presentation • Generate and conceptualize artistic ideas and work • Relate artistic ideas and works with societal, cultural and historical context to deepen understanding • Convey meaning through the presentation of artistic work. For additional materials and music projects visit 26 WoodSongs.com/CLASSROOM CLASSROOM MOUSIE HIWAY Lesson Plans 5-7 The Adventures of Banjo Mouse in Appalachia

Introduction: Mousie HiWay is the story of Banjo Mouse and his journey through the Appalachian Mountains. Banjo Mouse didn’t have a home of his own, yet he was blessed with plenty of friends throughout his journey, because he knew so many songs on his banjo. This aspect of the story will allow the children to understand and make connections to the way that music encourages a sense of family, friendship, and to - getherness. It’s fun! Students will also realize that it takes cooperation to make an entire band, and that through friendship, this is possible. Banjo Mouse and the friends that join him along the way form the Mousie HiWay Band. Banjo Mouse meets several friends along his journey through the Appalachian Mountains. Among these friends are, Fiddle Fox, Doggy Dobro, Mando Moose, Kitty Guitar, and Little Bitty Beaver.

Goals • Students will understand the way that music brings us together and creates friendships, and is fun! • Students will understand the history of Bill Monroe, Bluegrass Music, Kentucky and Appalachia • Students will understand the instruments featured and the history of them, along with the distinct sounds of each instrument. • Activities may vary depending on grade level and teacher modifications.

Activity 1: Begin the lesson with a discussion. Ask them questions to access prior knowledge. For example, ask the students what they know about the banjo. Other questions may include, “What is your favorite instrument?” “Do you know what Bluegrass music is?” “Do you play a mu - sical instrument?” “Do you know what the word Appalachia means?” Asking questions to access prior knowledge, will encourage the students to make connections to the story as you read. Then, read the story to your class and show the pictures to accompany each page. Let the stu - dents know that after you have read the story, there will be time to ask questions and discuss it. As part of the discussion, ask students how they feel Banjo Mouse brought the band together by playing his banjo. Also, being to discuss the various instruments in the story, and ask the students if they are familiar with the sounds.

Activity 2: Ask the students to write a poem based upon the Mousie HiWay story. Encourage the students to use different characters than in Mousie HiWay, but have them think about the way that Banjo Mouse met all of his friends along the way. Encourage them to assemble a band, in which they all must work together to perform. Encourage descriptive language, and also, possibly making this a ballad, which will reflect more of the Appalachian connection. This activity will encourage creativity.It also emphasizes the importance of working together, the way that music brings us together, and the way that music shares a message.

Activity 3: This activity will include an introduction discussion as well. Ask them questions about the instruments featured in the story. Talk to the students about Bill Monroe, explain that he helped create Bluegrass music from his home in Kentucky, and from his very own front porch! Then, play a Bill Monroe song. Have students write a one-two page paper, in which they research and write about Bill Monroe and the history of Blue - grass music. The paper should also include at least reliable sources. This will allow students to also make the distinction of designing projects with different intention. Meaning, to design a paper for the purpose of sharing information versus writing a song/poem to relay a message.

Activity 4: Students to design their own artistic project of the message featured in Mousie HiWay. Encourage the students to feature a front porch, mountains, and their family or friends that they would want to share music with. The medium of the project may be drawing, painting, photography, media design, or other options that your class has been working on or that they wish to use to design this project.

For all artistic aspects involved, let the students know their work will be displayed in the hallway or in the classroom, which will encourage them to do their very best work. Most importantly, have fun and allow them to really take in the message that music encourages togetherness, as ref - erenced by the way Banjo Mouse and his friends form the Mousie HiWay Band.

Connection to Standards: • Through their use of elements and structures of music, creators and performers provide clues to their expressive intent. • Creating: Conceiving and developing new artistic ideas and work • Realizing artistic ideas and work through interpretation and presentation • Synthesize and relate knowledge and personal experiences to make art. The MOUSIE HIWAY lesson plans prepared by April Duckworth M.Ed, BS. She’s been teaching at Eastern Kentucky University and part of the faculty in the Appalachian Studies department. She has 27 a Master of Arts Degree in Education and a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, along with a minor in Social Welfare. MOUSIE HIWAY The Adventures of Banjo Mouse in Appalachia

Before the arrival of our baby twins I resurrected a song and story that I’ve kept dormant in my mental vault for a while and decided it was time ... I want to write a series of children’s books, draw the illustrations myself and publish them.

“How hard can it be?” I said to myself. Well ... it’s pretty hard.

Mousie HiWay: The Adventures of Banjo Mouse in Appalachia is about a banjo playing mouse that travels Appalachia, meets other musicians and forms the amazing Mousie HiWay Bluegrass Band.

The story and accompanying CD introduce the bluegrass sounds of the banjo, fiddle, mandolin, dobro, guitar and bass to young ears in a fun way. I'm not aware of another bluegrass-related children's book like this.

I like the story. It’s a bluegrass lesson about bluegrass music that encourages kids to play bluegrass music. It’s all part of the grand stage called the “front porch” ... and it’s time we introduced kids to that wonderful world again.

And it's based somewhat on fact. It's true: I actually did live in Mousie, Kentucky ... and Blue Moon Mountain separated the little hamlet from Hindman, KY, The actual road sign to the real hamlet of Mousie in Knott County, the county seat ... and yes, I traveled the hollers with my This is the first, original Kentucky where I lived for a while banjo. Although I myself am not a mouse. drawing of Banjo Mouse and wrote the song So, here is the story, read it with a steady tempo to your kids. If you want, it would be great if you created your own pictures to go with the story and made your own children's book.

Heck, why not? How hard can it be?

Do you like to write letters? Email [email protected] or write a letter on paper and mail it to: Mousie HiWay PO Box 200, Lexington, KY 40588

Michael Johnathon Want more copies of this book? You can also see other [email protected] books and CD releases by Michael Johnathon here: FolkSinger - SongFarmer - Dad 28 MichaelJohnathon.com/MousieHiWay Hey Mom, Dad, Granny GrandPa We want you to read this book to your kids, learn the Mousie HiWay song and play it together. But sometimes it’s fun just to sit back and listen. You can play the enclosed CD and hear the entire book read to a musical beat, then hear the actual Mousie HiWay song. Don’t have a CD player? You can download the MP3 version and play it on your iPad, smart phone, desk top or MP3 player by visiting this website: MichaelJohnathon.com/MousieHiWay

MOUSIE HIWAY The Adventures of Banjo Mouse in the Appalachian Mountains

Track 1: Audio Book Track 2: Mousie HiWay Song

MICHAEL JOHNATHON with the McLain Family Band and Rob Ickes

Teachers Home School Parents We have lesson plans ready for you to use to teach kids the history of bluegrass music and all that it has to offer. Visit this website to down load FREE lesson plans for kids in grades K-4 and 5-7. MichaelJohnathon.com/MousieHiWay or WoodSongs.com/classroom .org

“Mousie HiWay: The Adventures of Banjo Mouse in the Appalachian Mountains” is a musical picture book about a banjo playing mouse that travels across Appalachia, meeting new friends and forming a bluegrass band. This book will introduce young kids to the banjo, guitar, fiddle, dobro, mandolin and upright bass in a fun way and encourage them to pick up an instrument and play. “We Need a Front Porch ‘round the World!”

Become a SongFarmer SongFarmers.org

CD and K-7 Lesson Plans UPC CODE HERE included ISBN: 978-0-692-06050-6