Buffalo Bluegrass Youth Ensemble

Welcome to our page.

We are a free bluegrass music club that is open to any  students, grades 5-12 who play violin, viola, cello, bass, guitar, mandolin, 5 string banjo or Dobro.

Our club can provide a limited number of instruments for our members to borrow (they need to be returned if the student is no longer playing them in our club and every June 1st they need to be returned for regular maintenance and inventory) and can help get them started with private lessons on these instruments. Tuition assistance may be available. Ask Mr. Panfil through email MarkPanfil@hotmail.com

We meet every first, third and fifth Monday on the months These practices will always be on Monday 6:30-8 PM but sometimes the schedule may change due to weather or instructor conflicts. Always check the calendar on this website or Facebook https://www.facebook.com/groups/651267914903997 for meeting dates that may have changed.

Our meetings are held at Wayside Presbyterian Church on the corner of Amsdell Rd and Route 5 in Hamburg NY.

We play songs by Bluegrass pioneers like Bill Monroe, Flatt and Scruggs, Ralph Stanley and Jimmy Martin. We will also play music by newer bluegrass influenced artists like Nickel Creek, Old Crow Medicine Show and the Grateful Dead. Instrumentally our music choices will include traditional Irish and American Fiddle music that has entered the mainstream of American string music.

Melodies and sometimes harmonies will be given to students in standard notation and/or tablature but will be expected to be memorized for public performances. These melodies will be kept simple making them easy to memorize and leaving room for embellishments and improvisation as students get comfortable with them.

Public performances may range from appearances in Local Arts Centers, Farmers Markets, Fairs and appropriate museums.

The founder and and executive director is Mark Panfil, a retired public school music teacher, member for the Music in the Schools committee and Foundation for Bluegrass Music in the IBMA (International Bluegrass Music Association). Our associate directors are Bill Matthews, Chris Panfil and Mark Gannon. All four of our directors are retired with teaching experience, active performing musicians and non paid volunteers.

Please call or email if you are interested. I will email our latest songs in notation if you email me and tell me which instrument you would like them for. It’s great if you can print your own copies of the music we are doing and keep them in a binder for practices.

You can download some of the music at this link. BBYE Downloads. If what you’re looking for isn’t here, please email me to ask for it. Thanks.
Mark Panfil 716-867-4012 MarkPanfil@hotmail.com

Here is a video of our 2018 performance at the Erie County Fair in Hamburg, NY               Our Bluegrass club at the Fair 2018

It’s always a good idea to call me before you are coming to one of our meetings for the first time and down load to music at our songs link above and work on them before the meeting. Bring your copies of the songs with you.

Thanks, Mark

Mission & Beliefs

We envision a world in which all children have the opportunity to experience community through the joy of participating in bluegrass and traditional mountain music together.

Our mission is to provide families with the tools and support they need for their children to play and sing traditional old time and bluegrass music.

We believe that children who are actively engaged in bluegrass and traditional mountain music are more likely to continue enjoying music beyond middle and high school and even college.