Classes

We’ll be writing one song as a group. While composing and writing, we will explore the elements that make a song work well or not.  Plus, we’ll have a lot of fun!

The Bahamian guitarist Joseph Spence developed a distinctive style of fingerpicking both gospel and standards. Join Hubby for this two-session class, as we delve into the percussive and improvisational nature of his music by breaking down the building blocks of his style.

Now that you know the basics, this two-part class takes your music to the next level. Covering both flatpicking and fingerpicking, we’ll look at a great tune or two.

Since the dawn of man, the rhythm bones have passed from hand to hand, becoming one of the most widely played instruments in the world. In this one-session workshop, Hubby will demonstrate how to hold the bones and break down simple rhythms that’ll get you playing in no time.

Cajun music, with simple chords and joyful rhythm, is great fun for inclusive jamming as is done in Louisiana and Cajun festivals/gatherings everywhere. No previous knowledge or experience necessary; all instruments, including vocals, and all levels welcome. All songs will be taught/led and lyric sheets will be provided–no previous Cajun French required! Also, an opportunity…

Clawhammer is a very old technique, brought to our land by people from West Africa. Today in Senegal and Gambia, people still play clawhammer on a banjo relative called the Akonting. This right-hand technique gives a unique sound, full of rhythm and drive. Both complete novices, and students who play just a bit, this class…

With the goal of learning two tunes drawn from Old Time and Cajun repertoire in this two-part class, we’ll work on playing melody (for beginners) and finding chords, harmonies, and rhythmic seconding for those more advanced. We’ll explore basic techniques, including bowing, intonation, posture, and more. Absolute beginners welcome—it’s never too late to put bow…

This two-session class is perfect for guitarists who are ready to move beyond strumming and learn the essentials of flatpicking for bluegrass music. Forget about complicated techniques, we’re going to focus on getting comfortable playing clear and rhythmic melodies and bass lines. We’ll address core alternate picking technique, learning how to hold the pick correctly,…

In this two-part class, using familiar songs from the start, we will learn the basic tools for song accompaniment and playing with others. We’ll cover the basic chords, learn which chords commonly go together, and practice changing chords in rhythm. Basic strumming styles will be explored, with an emphasis on bass/alternate or “boom-chuck” strumming with…

For folks who have learned just a little bit of guitar, and are ready to move forward, this two-part class is for you. We’ll look at basic flatpicking and fingerpicking and learn an easy song.

This one-session workshop welcomes players of all levels who want to keep their axe in top shape. Learn the anatomy of guitars and mandolins, from headstock to tailpiece, and understand how each part contributes to sound and playability. Evaluate your instrument’s condition and identify potential problems. Topics include neck relief, action, intonation, bridge adjustments, fret…

We will use the camp concert stage and sound system to practice your songs, while going over best practices for sound checks, mic technique, instrument amplification and performance tips. Learn a bit more about audio connections, avoiding rings and “bad sound”, how the gear works, and bringing your best game when getting on stage.

If you’re a guitarist eager to explore the mandolin, this two-session class is for you. We’ll take your existing knowledge and show you how it translates to the mandolin fretboard, focusing on the core techniques and fingerboard knowledge needed for playing rhythm. We’ll cover how familiar guitar chords transfer to the mandolin, including open chords,…

We’ll be singing songs of love, hope, justice and…fun!  The weekend’s repertoire will include rounds, zipper songs, songs by contemporary songwriters as well as traditional songs.  We’ll explore how to find harmonies and of course, we’ll warm up each at the beginning of each class.

This 2-session class explores singing as a way to ground and strengthen our spirits. Through vocal warmups and exercises, including “scores” from the brilliant Pauline Oliveros, as well as simple songs from different cultures (Georgian healing songs, Lithuanian sutartines, English-language rounds and ballads), we will deepen our connection to our voices as tools for steadying…

The distinctive sound of blues played on a guitar with a bottleneck slide has its roots in Hawaii, the Diddley bow, and one-stringed ancestors in Africa. In this two-session class, we will study the proper technique for holding a slide and tuning your guitar while playing a couple of Hubby’s favorite songs.

In this one-session workshop, we will learn the basics of open-D tuning, including chord shapes, scales, and songs. Many artists have written music in open-D tuning; we will explore a few of their masterpieces and get comfortable with the tuning in general, including some fingerpicking.

In this 2-session class, we will learn songs from the incredible catalogue of the Roche sisters, whose harmonies, songwriting and humor are unmatched! Come learn the intricate, sometimes angelic, sometimes bawdy music of these incredible women.

This workshop is all about getting started-throwing some words and music down-sketching out song notions so that we have something to edit and complete. We often stop ourselves before we’ve even started by wanting the song to be perfectly formed before we commit pen to paper. I’m hoping everyone who participates in this two-session class…

This is not a class in furniture building and refurbishing, however it is similar in that we will be talking about the “craft” of songwriting or “building” a song after the initial creative impulse. What are some specific tools we can use to “fix” our songs and know when they’re complete? Also, what to do…

This 2-part class will explore ways to make your songs sing!  Attendees are encouraged to bring an unfinished song they are working on as well as some ideas for a completely new one!  We’ll discuss different approaches to writing a song, the importance of a good melody, and editing our work.