Class Type: Tickets

Private Voice Lessons with Mairead Guy

*THESE LESSONS WILL BE IN-PERSON*

After you register, please sign up for your lesson time at this link. You’re welcome to view available slots beforehand, but only sign up after you’ve paid for your class.

Are you curious about singing and seeking to deepen your relationship with your voice? We’re excited to offer personalized 30-minute voice lessons focusing on developing your ideal sound and helping you reach your vocal goals. Together, we will explore precise, healthy vocal techniques as well as technical elements of various styles. Through collaboration with your instructor, you’ll uncover your own unique voice and freedom of musical expression.

Summer Semester (Mondays):July 28, Aug 4, 11, 18

Available Time Slots:

6:00–6:30pm

6:35–7:05pm

7:10–7:40pm

7:45–8:15pm

8:20–8:50pm

Location: Passim School of Music, 26 Church Street, Cambridge, MA(Classrooms are on the third floor; unfortunately, there is no elevator.)

Ages: 18+

Songwriting 101

*THIS IS AN ONLINE CLASS*

This class is for you if: you’ve always wanted to write a song but don’t know how to start or you’ve written a few and would love some tools to help you continue on this path. During this semester, you will learn a variety of writing tools that will help get your creative juices flowing and help build confidence in your abilities. We will discuss basic rules and guidelines for songwriting and each week I will guide you through exercises to help take the fear and mystery out of the songwriting process. We will also discuss how to critique a song in a kind, specific way.

Creating your own work is often a tender/vulnerable experience. It is my priority to create a safe, fun environment in which to facilitate this process for class members.

Please come to class with a notebook and pen.

This class will be held on Zoom from 6:30-7:45pm on Thursdays, July 31, August 7, 14, 21.

Pre-sales are highly encouraged! Online sale ends 2 hours before the workshop begins. Tickets can be purchased at the door before the workshop begins. 4 students are required for this workshop to meet. If a workshop is cancelled due to low enrollment, you will be notified and receive a full refund.

Songwriting and Performing in your Authentic Voice

**THIS IS AN ONLINE CLASS**

Fostering a committed and healthy relationship with our own creativity is a lifelong journey. In a culture obsessed with status and success, it is easy to devalue our own voices and question the worth of our creative endeavors. For me, creativity is a vital part of a healthy inner world and remaining steadfast in my work as a songwriter and performer means I must quiet the doubtful and cynical voices in my head. I must mindfully nurture all the seeds of inspiration that life offers on a daily basis. Being an artist requires an understanding of each of our unique tool belts and diligence to expand on our practice

The landscape of music and performance is infinitely vast and often overwhelming. The good news is there is no wrong approach. I would love to share some of the well-worn paths I’ve taken to become the musician and creative I am today.

“No one does you as good as you do” is a concept every creative must internalize. In this workshop, we will discover what makes our own voice unique and learn to bring that to our songwriting and performing. I will share strategies that have helped me find inspiration to start songs and the many varied ways I’ve worked to finish them. I will share the ways my approach to performing has changed and developed over the years and the ways I work to engage my audiences.

In this four-part workshop, we will encourage students to start brand new works or complete what they have already started. In the first session, i will share what strategies have worked for me and get deeper into my own tried and true techniques. I will offer some prompts and structure for brainstorming and writing. We will

Develop strategies to quiet the voices of doubt and follow our own creative truths. Throughout the sessions students will showcase their songs and song-seeds and receive feedback from myself and the group.

Week 1: What do you bring? What is your unique perspective?

Week 2: nuts and bolts. Strategies for lyric writing and form construction

Week 3: quiet the voices. Remove the blockages to creative flow in both songwriting and performance

Week 4: show and tell. we may do some showing before this session, but in the final class we will hear completed works and everyone will get the chance to share some or all of what they created.

This class will be held from 6:30-7:45pm ET on Tuesdays, July 29, Aug 5, 12, 19

Please note: The class will be held online.

Limited to students 18 yrs of age or older; Pre-sales are highly encouraged! Online sale ends 1 hour before the class begins. 4 students are required for this class to meet. If a class is cancelled due to low enrollment, you will be notified and receive a full refund.

Audio Concepts for the Absolute Beginner

**THIS IS AN ONLINE CLASS**

Audio Concepts for the Absolute Beginner is an entry-level class for anyone who’s curious about audio but doesn’t know where to start. Whether you’re a musician, music fan, songwriter, performer, or just someone looking to learn something new, this class will walk you through the absolute basics of working with sound. We’ll cover beginner audio concepts including: signal flow, recording, editing, basic mixing, loops, and virtual instruments, all within GarageBand’s beginner-friendly interface.

This class is ideal for those with little to no prior experience who want to start creating music or recording ideas at home.

Students should have access to a Mac or iOS device with GarageBand installed, plus a pair of headphones or speakers for listening. If you’ve always wanted to learn more about sound recording but found it intimidating, this class is a great place to begin.

This class will be held from 6:30-7:45pm ET on Tuesdays, July 29, Aug 5, 12, 19

Please note: The class will be held online.

Intro to Bluegrass Jamming

**THIS IS AN IN-PERSON CLASS**

Plug yourself into the local roots music community with Intro to Bluegrass Jamming! This 4-week course provides budding bluegrass musicians with an overview of the format and “rules” of playing in a bluegrass jam session. The primary goal is to break down the various aspects of bluegrass jamming – playing rhythm, taking leads, verbal and non-verbal cues – and give folks the skills and confidence to join their local sessions, ensembles, band scrambles, and festival jams. Open to all acoustic musicians – voice, fiddle, mandolin, guitar, banjo, bass, dobro, harmonica, etc.

Pre-requisites:

comfortable playing open chords, moving between chords, and strumming basic rhythms
note: familiarity with your instrument is necessary for this class, familiarity with bluegrass is not!

Please bring a notebook, pencil, and recording device – your phone works great! Guitar and banjo players please bring a capo. For this style of jamming, guitar players should expect to use a flat pick, and banjo players to play 3-finger, or “Scruggs”, style.

This class will be held from 8:00-9:15pm ET on Tuesdays, July 29, Aug 5, 12, 19

Please note: The class will be held at The Passim School of Music which is located at 26 Church St. Cambridge, MA. Classrooms are located on the third floor and, unfortunately, we do not have an elevator.

Limited to 12 students (18 yrs of age or older); Pre-sales are highly encouraged! Online sale ends 1 hour before the class begins. Tickets can be purchased at the door. before the class begins. 4 students are required for this class to meet. If a class is cancelled due to low enrollment, you will be notified and receive a full refund.

Passim Mandolin Ensemble

**THIS IS AN IN-PERSON CLASS**

Sick and tired of banjos, guitars, and fiddles ruining your jam? Do you dream of a double-coursed world, tuned entirely in fifths? Do you yearn to tremolo in six-part harmony?

Led by mandolinist Maxfield Anderson, the Passim Mandolin Ensemble is a unique four-week summer session designed for intermediate players who are looking to deepen their ensemble skills and explore the versatility of the mandolin. This all-mandolin (and mandolin family) ensemble will work through a dynamic repertoire spanning a range of styles – folk, classical, bluegrass, film/video game music, and beyond.

Mandolin players unite!

Pre-reqs:

intermediate playing and reading ability
Open to mandolin, mandolin family, bouzouki, cittern, and similar string instruments

Pre-requisites:

comfortable playing open chords, moving between chords, and strumming basic rhythms
note: familiarity with your instrument is necessary for this class, familiarity with bluegrass is not!

This class will be held from 6:30-7:45pm ET on Tuesdays, July 29, Aug 5, 12, 19

Limited to 7 students (18 yrs of age or older); Pre-sales are highly encouraged! Online sale ends 1 hour before the class begins. Tickets can be purchased at the door. before the class begins. 4 students are required for this class to meet. If a class is cancelled due to low enrollment, you will be notified and receive a full refund.

Creative Collaborations (Co-writing)

THIS IS AN IN-PERSON CLASS

Over the course of four weeks, we’ll explore the art of creating in collaboration. Students will have two weeks to complete each of two musical collaborations with two different partners. These collaborations can be newly written songs or arrangements of pre-existing works. Students will gain experience inviting others into their creative process and find new approaches to accessing their musicality in community with their peers. All skill levels and instruments are welcome.

6:30–7:45pm ET

Class ScheduleTuesdsays: July 29, Aug 5, 12, 19

Location: Passim School of Music, 26 Church Street, Cambridge, MA(Classrooms are located on the third floor; unfortunately, there is no elevator.)

Ages: 18+

Please Note:Online sales end 2 hours before the class begins. A minimum of 4 students is required for the class to run. If canceled due to low enrollment, you will be notified and receive a full refund.

Banjo Styles Sampler

THIS IS AN IN-PERSON CLASS

Not sure what direction to take with your banjo playing? This is the class for you.

Join us for a hands-on introduction to the major styles of banjo playing—3-finger, clawhammer, two-finger, and frailing—all in one course. We’ll learn simple, satisfying songs in each style so you can hear and feel the difference.

By the end, you’ll walk away with a solid foundation and the clarity to choose the style that speaks to you.

Geared toward beginners, but all levels welcome!

8:00-9:15pm ET

Class ScheduleMondays: July 28, Aug 4, 18, 25

Location: Passim School of Music, 26 Church Street, Cambridge, MA(Classrooms are located on the third floor; unfortunately, there is no elevator.)

Ages: 18+

Pete Seeger: Folk Songs of Hope with Trevin Nelson

THIS IS AN IN-PERSON CLASS

Pete Seeger’s music still reminds us how to stand strong, stay kind, and sing with purpose. In this class, we’ll learn to play and sing some of his most powerful songs, exploring both his right-hand banjo style and his gift for bringing people together through singing.

Open to singers and players of all levels — Even though it’s a banjo-leaning class, guitar or any instrument you feel at home with is also welcome. If you know basic chords and love to sing, you’re ready.

6:30–7:45pm ET

Class ScheduleMondays: July 28, Aug 4, 18, 25

Location: Passim School of Music, 26 Church Street, Cambridge, MA(Classrooms are located on the third floor; unfortunately, there is no elevator.)

Ages: 18+

A Song That Haunts

Why do certain songs resonate and nestle themselves in your ear? In this class — part investigation, part workshop — we will explore those haunting songs by dissecting a handful of the best. We’ll get to the core of their inner workings and see how we can apply those concepts into our own writing. A Song That Haunts will be a focused study in three parts: lyrics, harmony, and structure and will give students opportunity to discuss and workshop their own songs.

This class will be held from 8:00-9:15pm on Mondays: Nov. 5, 12, 19, 26 Dec. 3, 10.

Please note: The Passim School of Music is located at 26 Church St. Cambridge, MA. Classrooms are located on the third floor and, unfortunately, we do not have an elevator.