Join us for an upcoming workshop! Your date with the arts.
Workshops are special, one-time experiences of music and dance with master teachers at the Old Town School of Folk Music. Low in time commitment but high in artistry, workshops are timely, engaging, and dynamic sessions targeted to serve participants with varied interests and goals.
The typical duration of a one-day workshop is an hour and a half to two hours, but we also offer intensives and multi-day or multi-week options. Workshops costs are dependent on length, specialty, and teaching artist, and some are funded by grants to make them low-cost to you. Each week we host something or someone new, so check back often!
World-touring acoustic blues pioneer CATFISH KEITH will teach his unique style of country blues guitar fingerpicking and bottleneck slide techniques. [more info]
Dylan wrote most of the songs in an open D tuning which we will learn and explore. Bring a capo. [more info]
All five major pentatonic positions will be covered in this class. You'll walk out of this workshop with a better understanding of the guitar neck. [more info]
Dan will cover all five patterns of the minor pentatonic scale and disect famous riffs to help inspire your respect for memorizing this scale. [more info]
This “support” group invites couples and care partners impacted by memory impairment to “dance through dementia”. This social dance is designed for people to move and be moved. Based off of the Memory Café models, Dance Café focuses on music and dance to increase a sense of community and support. Led by Dance Therapist Erica Hornthal. [more info]
Learn calypso, mento, ska, and reggae. Use the great strumming patterns and rhythms of the Caribbean to play in traditional styles of Trinidad, Jamaica, and other islands. [more info]
Come share your song, new or old, all-done or somewhere in between. Listen and respond to the work of your peers in a supportive and creative community of artists. [more info]
Bruce's fiddle workshop brings players together to look at the intricacies of the old mountain style, which predates bluegrass and country western styles heard on early radio and television. The workshop takes a detailed, hands-on approach to old time fiddle, and the class will cover a couple of tunes in during the session. For each tune we'll go a phrase at a time, first simply with melody, then adding bowing, and finally piecing things together, all the while being mindful of the elements that make up the music, like rhythm, intonation, syncopation, dynamics, etc. [more info]
Minimize the frustration with chords and sail smoothly through your songs! [more info]
This workshop will help you quickly figure out strumming patterns, syncopation, singing and playing together, and how to make your rhythms more interesting and inspired. [more info]
We’ll learn and play some traditional folk music song that the Bobster has covered over the years. Concert recordings will be offered in addition to the charts. Expect some Woody Guthrie, Elizabeth Cotton, Blues and gospel gems. [more info]
Swing and sway to the blues, rockabilly, and the sounds of the big bands. Learn to be comfortable with fundamental moves on the dance floor. In this two-hour workshop, Louie will cover the one-step, the fox-trot, and the six-count swing. Emphasis will also be given to the basics of coupling, floorwork, and turns. This class is ideal for couples who are either preparing for their own wedding or those wanting to dance with ease at any party or occasion. Spend some time with your honey, get moving, and have fun! [more info]
Learn some fun country dances with Louie Stallone, starting with the basic two-step, which you can dance in pairs or by yourself. We’ll then break down a few classic line dances, and maybe one or two you’ve never seen before. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes, and there’s no need for a partner, but bring ‘em if you got ‘em! [more info]
Ever wondered what one of Beyoncé's songs would sound like when played on the banjo? Join teacher Matt Brown and find out! This workshop is for intermediate to advanced banjoists (either bluegrass or old-time) who are comfortable reading tab, playing basic chords, and are willing to bring and use a capo. Have a request for a particular Beyoncé song? Send Matt a note by October 10 to have your choice considered. mbrown@brownsdream.us [more info]
Get a deep dive into the thumb-lead, two-finger banjo style that Matt Brown loves and taught at the Old Town School for seven years. You'll be plucking the strings with your thumb and index finger. No picks required. This workshop is well suited for those who didn't have a chance to take his two-finger banjo class as well as those who did ~ Matt will have new arrangements to teach. Comfort in G/A tuning as well as double C/double D tuning will make the workshop way more enjoyable. It will also help to know how to slide, hammer-on, and pull-off. [more info]
Join fiddler Matt Brown and banjoist Andy Malloy to learn the ins and outs of the Paul Warren & Earl Scruggs duet sound. Fiddlers will spend the first portion of the workshop with Matt learning a tune, while the banjoists will hang out with Andy learning the banjo approach, then we'll all play together at the end! Though we'll focus on one particular tune, the concepts addressed will be applicable to any number of fiddle & banjo duets you'd like to try with your favorite duet partner. [more info]
The chords covered are "modified" open string chords, "modified" barre chords, drop 2 chords and drop 3 chords. [more info]
This fun workshop will help expand your knowledge of notes, chords, and keys, for use in performing the songs you love, accompanying others, or creating your own music [more info]
In this workshop, attendees will unfold the reasons why radical honesty can be a songwriter's most beloved tool for conveying their boldest truth through art. https://www.emilyannpeterson.com/ [more info]
Join us on as Ben Wright of the Henhouse Prowlers shares tips on starting and keeping a band together, booking and promoting shows, and ideas on how to contribute to the world of music even if you don’t want to perform. The music industry is exciting, fun, and sometimes a real pain in the butt. Get a head start on it by hearing about the journey of a band that started right here in Chicago, complete with soaring successes AND bone-headed mistakes. [more info]
An autumn array of tunes by the lads of Liverpool. Participants take home a generous packet of songs! [more info]
So join us to explore the work of this brilliant inspiring songwriter, and learn some new fingerstyle techniques that will enhance your guitar playing! [more info]
This workshop will enhance your tone production, speed, accuracy and overall technique with playing individual notes [more info]
You'll learn simple arpeggios, alternate bass patterns, and a “Travis picking” pattern. [more info]
This month we’ll play a dozen or so songs which we believe are worthy of Nobel recognition. Some of the obvious ones and some deep cuts. Shakespeare’s in the alley. Bring a capo [more info]
Come share your song, new or old, all-done or somewhere in between. Listen and respond to the work of your peers in a supportive and creative community of artists. [more info]
We’ll learn few of Dylan’s holiday arrangements as well as a handful of his Frank Sinatra covers from earlier this decade. [more info]
