(phone dialing) (phone rings) >>Hey, Mary, what are we doing today?

>>Oh, hey, Mike!

Yeah, today we're learning all about communication.

How we communicate through music and language and even with animals.

And we have a special guest today, Miss Alicia.

(cellphone ringing) Oh, she's calling in now!

Hi, Miss Alicia!

>>Hola, Mary.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>Funding for "Songs and Stories with Mary and Mike" is made possible by... (gentle music) (Mary sings in Spanish) Are you ready?

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>Let's get up!

(Alicia speaks Spanish) ♪ It's time, it's time, it's time, it's time ♪ ♪ It's time to get up ♪ (Alicia sings in Spanish) ♪ There's so much to do ♪ (Alicia sings in Spanish) ♪ There's so much to learn about ♪ ♪ So I can be best me ♪ (Alicia sings in Spanish) ♪ It's time, it's time, it's time, it's time ♪ ♪ It's time to get up ♪ (Alicia sings in Spanish) >>(laughs) Welcome to "Songs and Stories" where we tell the stories of music.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>And friends, we have such a special guest with us today.

Our co-host for the day, Alicia!

Alicia, thank you so much for being here today.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) (Mary laughs) >>Oh, absolutely, our honor!

So Alicia, I know that you study languages and you are bilingual, which means you speak two different languages.

You speak both English and Spanish.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) I just said that Spanish is a beautiful language that is spoken all over the world.

And in Spanish-speaking countries like Mexico or Spain, where I'm from, Peru, Guatemala, Honduras, El Salvador, Argentina, we speak it with different accents and some little differences but we understand each other perfectly.

We can communicate like we are communicating now.

>>I love that.

I also love that you brought up Latin America because today we're going to read the book, "Maria Had a Little Llama".

Llamas are from Latin America.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>(chuckles) I'm looking forward to it, too.

And friends, we have some other things we need to do today as well.

Mike is visiting with our friend, Estela, and they are playing some music and learning a song together.

And I'm going to go to a llama farm today (laughs) to learn more about these amazing animals.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>(chuckles) Think llamas are fun, too.

I can't wait to meet them.

But first, let's go check in with Mike and Estela and hear the music and the song that they are singing.

(little girl speaks Spanish) Let's make music!

(gentle guitar music) >>Hey, Estela!

>>Hi, Mike!

Thanks for coming by!

>>Great to see ya!

Yeah!

>>Yeah!

>>Estela, thank you so much for being with us today.

We're so glad to have you.

>>And thanks for having me.

>>Well, Estela, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

>>Sure, my name is Estela Diaz-Knott and I teach music to children and their adults in our music program called Blue Ridge Music Together.

And I also play music in my group, Lua Project, and we play a style of music I like to call Mexilachian music.

>>What does Mexilachian mean?

>>Mexilachian is me.

I grew up in Luray, Virginia in this beautiful valley nestled in the Appalachian Mountains to a Mexican mother and an Appalachian father.

And so I'm Mexilachian!

>>That makes a lot of sense.

>>(laughs) Yeah.

>>Yeah, can you tell me about this instrument?

>>Si.

(Estela speaks Spanish) It's the jarana and it's a folk instrument from Veracruz, Mexico for a style of music that is called son jarocho music.

>>What do you like about this instrument?

>>Ah, wow.

What I love so much about this instrument is it connects me to my two cultures.

And what I mean by that is here in the Appalachians, we have a style of music that we like to play which is the old-time music or Appalachian, you know, fiddle music.

♪ Take me back to those Blue Ridge Mountains ♪ ♪ From the winding road ♪ And the way in which this style of music is usually played is in community, like you go out into the countryside and there are people playing.

In Mexico, son jarocho music happens the same way.

(cheerful guitar music) It's a community-oriented style of music where people go out into the fields and they come together and they put down a tablado, which is a platform that you dance on, and they play music together.

So it's very much similar, even though the musical styles sound very different.

>>I love thinking about people getting together and making music.

>>Mm-hm.

>>Well, so we have a song today, right?

>>It's called and "De Colores" and de colores means all the colors.

And "De Colores" is a song that the melody, I think, originated in Spain a long time ago.

And then it came over into the Western hemisphere and is beloved throughout Latin America by many cultures.

>>What does it mean to you?

>>I love so much that it is a song that includes all kinds of people and how we are like the colors of the rainbow.

>>So Estela, can you break the song down for us a little bit?

>>Sure, yeah!

How about you all sing with me, yeah?

>>Yeah.

>>All right, so (guitar strums gently) can you sing... ♪ De colores ♪ ♪ De colores ♪ Wonderful.

And then there's also animals.

>>There's animals in the song, too?

>>Yes!

So let me show you.

>>What animals?

Oh, you have pictures?

>>Mm-hm!

>>I love it.

>>There's el gallo, which is the rooster.

Can you say that with me, el gallo?

El gallo.

>>El gallo.

>>Uh-huh, and there's la gallina, the chicken, yeah?

So let's say that together.

La gallina.

La gallina.

>>La gallina.

>>And then there's also the little peeps.

Los polluelos.

Los polluelos.

>>Los polluelos.

>>Yeah, so you can sing those with me when we sing the song.

>>Awesome!

>>Great!

>>Well, let's do it.

>>Let's do it.

All right!

(cheerful guitar music) (Mike and Estela sing in Spanish) >>This such a fun song to play.

Are there English words, too?

>>There are!

They go like this.

♪ All the colors ♪ ♪ The yellows and blacks, whites and browns ♪ ♪ And the reds of some roses ♪ ♪ All the colors ♪ ♪ Different people I meet ♪ ♪ Different hands, different feet, different noses ♪ ♪ All the colors ♪ ♪ Singin' songs in the night ♪ ♪ Smiling faces so bright in the sun ♪ ♪ All the colors and me and the colors I see ♪ ♪ Come together in a rainbow of one ♪ ♪ All the colors and me and the colors I see ♪ ♪ Come together in a rainbow of one ♪ (Estela laughs) >>Estela, this was so much fun to play with you.

Thank you for sharing this with us today.

>>Thank you, thanks for singing with me!

(little girl speaks Spanish) Let's be mindful.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>We've been busy today, so let's take a minute to get our minds and our bodies ready for listening.

Let's start by taking our hand and putting it right over our heart.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>Notice how fast your heart is beating.

Hmm.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>Mm, my heartbeat is fast, too.

Let's see if we can slow it down just a little bit.

By taking three deep breaths all together.

(deep breathing) >>Uno.

(deep breathing) Dos.

(deep breathing) Tres.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>My heartbeat slowed down, too.

Friends, what did you notice?

Did your heartbeat slow down a little bit?

Does your body feel calmer?

You know, you can use this technique of taking three deep breaths to calm your body down wherever you are.

If you're someplace busy and noisy or someplace quiet and you just want to be more focused and calm, you can use that to get your body calmed down and your heartbeat slower.

I think we're ready to read the book.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) (little girl speaks Spanish) Let's read a book.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) I just said we're gonna read the book, "Maria Had a Little Llama" by Angela Dominguez and the book takes place in Peru, in the city of Cusco that I've visited years ago!

>>Oh, wow, so you might recognize some parts of it from the book!

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>We love this book and we hope you will, too.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>Maria had a little llama.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>Whose fleece was white as snow.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>(laughs) And everywhere that Maria went, the llama was sure to go.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) These are places around Cusco, the city.

>>And the Andes mountains.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>He followed her to school one day.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>I also see maybe this is a band here.

I see some different instruments.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) There's some food vendors on the street, too.

>>And I see Maria over here and her little llama is following her!

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>To the school!

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>That was against the rules.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>It made the children laugh and play to see a llama at school.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>The teacher had to send him out.

Aww.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>But still, he lingered near and waited patiently about.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>(laughs) For Maria to appear!

(Mary laughs) (Alicia speaks Spanish) She's so happy!

>>She's so happy, so is Maria.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>"Why does the llama love Maria so?"

the eager children cried.

"Maria loves the llama, you know," the teacher did reply.

>>Fin!

>>The end.

(laughs) (Alicia speaks Spanish) >>I see the instruments, too.

They look like they're having a wonderful time.

Maria's playing an instrument, it almost looks like the llama is dancing.

(chuckles) (Alicia speaks Spanish) >>Oh, yes, more llamas.

They're looking over the fence.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>(laughs) Thank you.

All right well, friends, come along with me.

Let's go meet some llamas at the llama farm.

(little girl speaks Spanish) Let's meet an animal.

(gentle guitar music) >>Hi, Paige!

Hi, Steven!

Thank you so much for having us to your farm today.

>>We're happy to have you here at Lower Sherwood.

>>Thank you, I'm so excited to learn all about llamas and alpacas.

(gentle guitar music continues) >>So this is Lacey.

This is Sorceress.

The red one in the middle, her name is Chicha.

>>Now, you have names for every single animal on the farm.

>>We do.

>>And so, do you know their personality?

Do they have different personalities?

>>Absolutely.

>>Are they all similar?

>>Every llama is their own llama.

(Mary laughs) Every alpaca is their own alpaca.

And llamas and alpacas do have slightly different personalities but they're all individual.

This is Cricket.

>>Oh, Cricket!

>>Cricket likes her back scratched.

>>Hi, Cricket.

>>So she'll come over for back scratches.

And she's about 12 years old.

>>12 years old.

>>And she's a nice-sized girl.

She's a big girl, she likes her back scratched as well.

And you can reach out.

>>Can I reach out?

>>Yeah, absolutely.

>>Hi.

>>The worst she's gonna do is walk away.

>>Oh, my gosh, it's so thick!

>>Yes.

>>The llama and the alpaca, they're both domesticated livestock.

They are native to Peru, Bolivia, Argentina, and Chile and they are from the Altiplano region which means high desert.

>>What is the difference between alpacas and llamas?

>>So this is an alpaca.

>>Okay.

>>They're much smaller than the llamas.

They are raised specifically for their wool or the hair.

They're technically not wool.

And it's very fine, very, very, very warm hair.

The llama is a work animal.

They're a beast of burden or pack animal.

They carry things.

Walking a llama, especially when they're trained, is really as easy as you walk, they walk.

You stop, they stop.

If you start walking, he's gonna follow you.

Do you feel comfortable?

I totally do, yes.

>>Okay.

(chuckles) >>He is so good.

>>Humming is their most common form of communication.

And it can mean a variety of things.

They can mean that they're happy, it can mean that they're anxious.

They definitely can do the, "Are we there yet?"

(women laughing) But these guys really do like to go for the walks so they're not being anxious.

>>Are you happy?

I hope you're happy.

Good job.

(women laughing) >>They're just a very peaceful hiking companions.

>>So they can really sense a person.

>>They can and they know the difference between a child and an adult and they will act accordingly most of the time.

(women laughing) There's so much of their character that is admirable.

They can be stoic, they can be strong.

They can be funny.

(women laughing) Very peaceful, very comfortable in their own skin.

>>I think I'm just falling in love with llamas.

(Mary laughs) >>That's a good thing!

I think they're easy to love.

>>Oh, well that was lovely.

Thank you for going on a walk with me, Defiance.

Well so, Paige, I heard that you had a very special arrival last week.

>>We did, just one week ago, we had a new baby born.

And this little one we have named Chennai.

>>Could we go meet Chennai?

>>Absolutely.

>>So we are in the nursery with this precious baby who's how old?

>>One week.

>>One week today.

Friends, look at this baby with these long legs and knobbly knees and beautiful face.

>>Go ahead and pet her.

>>Hi.

So how do I pet her?

Anywhere but her head.

>>Anywhere but her head.

Hi.

Oh, she's so soft.

Yes, hi, beauty.

Hi.

>>Wouldn't you like to just curl up (chuckles) in something made from that?

>>She is just so soft and just perfect.

I mean, she's absolutely just a llama in miniature.

(laughs) Hi.

>>Yes, he is.

>>They are very calming.

I mean, I don't feel like with other animals that would be so much bigger than me, that I would feel this comfortable with them this close, but they are, they're calm.

>>They are calm.

They are actually used a lot in therapy.

>>Wow.

>>So they, both emotional and physical therapy.

They work with children who have special needs.

They'll go into hospitals, nursing homes, they'll ride in elevators.

(chuckles) >>Wow.

>>They ride in the back of the minivan.

So they're very portable, very calm.

They take it all in stride.

>>Hi, baby.

I can hear the sound.

That is Mama or is that baby?

>>It's humming.

That's the mom, mostly.

>>Mom.

And what is mama saying with that?

She's just talking to her, reassuring her.

>>She's talking to the baby, so not to us.

She's talking to the baby, saying it's okay.

>>Yeah.

But they're comfortable with us.

They know us and most of them were born here.

We've been raising them for 35 years.

>>I love how you know what they're saying, you know what they're communicating.

And I think they know you, too, and they know Steven, too, that Mama clearly is okay with with Steven holding the baby.

There we go.

Oh, this has been magical.

Yeah.

Well, Paige and Steven, thank you so much for having us along at your llama farm and alpaca farm.

>>Well, it was a pleasure to have you all here.

>>Thank you.

>>We're glad you came and hope you come back again.

>>Oh, well, I'm now madly in love with llamas and alpacas so I think I'll have to.

Thank you so much.

(Mary laughs) (gentle music) >>Funding for "Songs and Stories with Mary and Mike" is made possible by... (gentle guitar music) (little girl speaks Spanish) You're a beautiful learner.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>Oh, I had such a wonderful time meeting the llamas, learning all about them.

>>Well, and I had such a great time meeting Estela and playing "De Colores", it's such a beautiful song and I just learned so much from it.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>Mm, it's a beautiful song.

Well, Alicia, thank you so much for being with us today.

What an honor.

We have really enjoyed learning with you today.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) (Mary laughs) >>Absolutely.

Friends, we have learned a lot today and you know what we always say so repeat after us.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>I am brave.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>I am curious.

(Alicia speaks Spanish) >>I am strong because I can do hard things.

(Mike, Mary and Alicia speak Spanish) >>I am a beautiful learner.

>>Yes, you are, friends.

And we will see you next time.

(gentle music) (Mike, Mary and Alicia sing Spanish)