Nothing Fancy

The meeting room of the Saratoga Branch Library was filled with raucous rhythms of homespun musical instruments on Friday, June 22, as children played along with the self-styled Gypsy Cowbelle. The event, which was scheduled as part of the "Libraries Rock" summer reading program, started at 1 p.m. and quickly filled with youngsters and their parents. Spoons, a washtub bass, a handsaw and more were used in a hectic harmony as "V," as she is known, led the band of merry music makers with classic western songs.

V, or Ruby Bell, began touring with the "homespun instruments" program about 10 years...