DHUH Guitar Workshop: Old Time Rhythm Intensive
- Guitar
- In-Person Workshops
- Old Time
THIS IS AN IN-PERSON CLASS. SCHOLARSHIPS AVAILABLE.
Sophie Wellington and Zach Meyer were both brought up in the old time music community on opposite coasts (Southwest Virginia and Seattle, WA). While their styles vary slightly, they share a deeply intuitive knowledge of melodic nuance, harmonic tendency, and rhythmic momentum in this and other genres.
In this workshop, folks can expect to gain a deeper understanding of how to support an old time jam – even on unfamiliar tunes – and how to learn on the fly. This session will focus on rhythm through the lens of old time tunes, with an emphasis on feel, groove, and staying grounded in a group setting. Come ready to listen closely, play along, and deepen your sense of timing and accompaniment.
Date: Sunday, April 19th
Time: 12–2pm
Location: Club Passim, 47 Palmer Street, Cambridge, MA (note, this will not be held at the School of Music)
Limited to students 18 yrs of age or older; Online sale ends 2 hours before the workshop begins. If there is space, tickets can be purchased at the door before the workshop begins. 5 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.
Sophie Wellington
- Fiddle
- Old Time
- Trad
Sophie Wellington is a fiddler, flatpick guitarist, jazz vocalist, and percussive dancer. Sophie was raised in Staunton VA by dance caller and old time musician Bill Wellington and classical pianist Lynne Mackey. Sophie’s music education began at an early age with choirs, saxophone in school bands, square/contra dancing, Irish step dance, and old time fiddle. She studied at Berklee College of Music and graduated in 2021 with a degree in vocal jazz performance, while also studying with Bruce Molsky.
Since graduating, Sophie has kept busy with recording projects, touring, and teaching. She released her debut solo album Roving Jewel in 2022. This captures an eclectic moment in her sound and features various musical genres, environments, and adaptations. She also plays in the Boston based country band The Talking Hearts and progressive old time supergroup Dumpster Debbie. Sophie has toured nationally and internationally in solo performance, duet projects, and most recently as fiddle player and percussive dancer for Willi Carlisle.
In recent years, Sophie has taught flatfooting, fiddle, and guitar on staff at Augusta Heritage Center’s Old Time Week, Blue Ridge Old Time Music Week, Acadia Festival of Traditional Music and Dance, CDSS’s Harmony Week at Pinewoods, and Earful of Fiddle. Her teaching approach draws connections between melody, harmony, and rhythm from her unique perspective as a multi-instrumentalist and percussive dancer.
Zach Meyer
- Guitar
- Old Time
- Trad
Zach Meyer is a Boston-based multi-instrumentalist who primarily performs on mandolin and guitar. A lifelong musician, Zach is a master of groove and funk who finds a way to fit his unique intuitive style into any genre, most often old time, country, and Cajun. With his deep knowledge of old time repertoire, Zach is a sought-after teacher and session leader. He hosts a popular advanced old time session in Boston and brings his jam host sensibility with him wherever he goes, instigating lively jams that elevate players of all levels. At workshops, camps, and in private lessons (both in person and virtual), Zach shares his vast repertoire of tunes spanning a wide variety of traditional styles while he imparts the foundational skills needed to make great music with other people. With each tune taught, Zach hones in on rhythmic integrity, phrasing, chord choice, and fun tricks that can improve any jam you’re in and make playing backup guitar a joyful experience. Zach also performs with a number of local bands ranging from Americana stringband (Grain Thief) to psychedelic old time (Dumpster Debbie) to honky tonk country (The Talking Hearts). Zach’s been recognized as a culture bearer by the Mass Cultural Council for his significant contributions to the preservation of traditional music and for fostering a vibrant roots music community in the Greater Boston area.
