Larry & Joe: Free Latin Strings Workshop + Sing-Along

Free • All ages • Instruments welcome • No experience needed

Latin Strings Workshop and Sing-Along

1:30 PM - 3:00 PM | Free and open to the public

Larry & Joe will be joining us at La Peña the following day, Saturday, May 23rd, for a free-to-the-public Latin Strings Workshop and Sing-Along from 1:30-3pm.

Larry & Joe will teach attendees a two-chord gabán, a fundamental rhythmic and harmonic structure of the musical style, la música llanera. Attendees will learn how strings are used percussively through muting and golpes to create the iconic joropo feel.

Though Larry & Joe will use the cuatro (an instrument intrinsically bound to the Venezuelan identity) as a teaching tool, this language is translatable to other string instruments like the banjo. Larry will explain how birds like the gabán have influenced Venezuelan musical cosmology as Joe interprets.

The workshop will close with a short bilingual, all-ages singalong with folk music popular across the Americas with highlights from Venezuela, Mexico, and the United States and including some of their own original songs. Note not every song is a singalong!

Instruments welcome and encouraged but not required.

Open to all ages and all levels.

──────────────────

Friday, May 22, 2026 | Concert

Larry Bellorín & Joe Troop Live at La Peña

Make it a full weekend with Larry & Joe! Join us the night before for a special benefit concert on Friday, May 22 at La Peña. Tickets start at $20, with proceeds supporting La Peña and East Bay Sanctuary Covenant.

• Get concert tickets here

—

Accessibility

• La Peña is a wheelchair-accessible venue with step-less entry, wide doorways, and accessible restrooms.
• Masks are strongly encouraged. If you’re experiencing COVID-19, cold, or flu-like symptoms, please consider staying home to protect our community. HEPA air purifiers operate throughout our space.
• All-gender restrooms available

We strive to make La Peña a welcoming, accessible space for everyone.

If you have any specific needs or questions about accessibility, please contact us at least one week in advance. Email us at programs@Lapena.org

Support La Peña — and save money!

• Become a La Peña Member: Enjoy free entry to our monthly political education film series, plus La Cumbia and ¡BAILA! dance parties, rental discounts and more. Join here: Lapena.org/members
• Make a one-time gift: Support our programs and keep La Peña thriving by donating here: Lapena.org/donate (donations are tax-deductible)