Minneapolis Public Schools

Mandolin is one of the instruments in Old Time music, and is great fun to play. If you're a beginner at mandolin, Old Time, or both, you are welcome to this class and we'll start from zero. We will cover some music theory to help you get started, and touch on the basics of how jams work. The playing techniques are applicable to any kind of music, but we will focus on tunes that get played at jams. Everything will be taught entirely by ear, with no written music. All you need to bring is a functioning mandolin (check that you can get it in tune), a flatpick, and a tuner. If class is full, please enroll in the waitlist. We will contact you if a space becomes available. This class is priced on a sliding fee scale. Please pay the price you are able. This helps to ensure that Community Education can provide quality opportunities for all of our participants.

Sing in a fun, relaxed environment with the Prospect Park Community Choir, a mixed-voice choir with a repertoire that spans various genres and style. No audition required. Rehearsals will begin in January, rehearsing on Tuesdays from 7:00-9:00pm and will be held at the Prospect Park United Methodist Church, 22 Orlin Ave SE. Concert performed in April at the PPUMC. Registration fee of $75 to be paid at rehearsal. Express your interest in advance by filling out the Membership Information form: https://prospectparkchoir.wordpress.com Email prospectparkchoir@gmail.com for more information.

Ready to take your clawhammer banjo playing to the next level? This 5-session class is designed for players who already have a grasp of the basics—bum-ditty rhythm, drop-thumbing, and a few simple tunes—and are ready to expand their skills and repertoire. We'll focus on developing smoother technique, increasing speed and precision, and learning tunes that introduce more advanced elements like alternate string pull-offs, hammer-ons, and melodic phrasing. Students will also explore tunings beyond open G, learn strategies for playing with others, and gain tools for continued self-guided learning. Bring your banjo (preferably with a scoop), a recording device or notebook, and be ready to play. Tablature will be provided, but playing by ear will be encouraged and supported. Whether you're aiming to jam with others, play solo, or dive deeper into old-time music, this class will help you build confidence and keep the momentum going.

Learn a variety of basics: chords, strumming skills, finger-picking, and some simple tunes. You’ll also learn how to read the notation systems and diagrams to get you playing independently. Nylon and steel string guitars are provided, or you may bring your own acoustic guitar.

Play with more finesse, learning alternate-thumb picking, further strumming techniques, scales and basic blues. Bring an acoustic guitar. Prerequisite: Guitar 1 or Guitar experience.

Please join Colin Monette and we’ll continue learning the basic building blocks of music theory as applied to the guitar. We’ll learn triads, chord theory, and common chord progressions, so you can learn many songs and even make up your own.

Learn more challenging tunes, advanced finger-picking technique, a broader chord vocabulary, and the notation systems and diagrams required to learn them. Nylon and steel string guitars are provided, or you may bring your own acoustic guitar. Prerequisite: Guitar 1, or recent guitar experience. Note reading experience helps.

The Recording Workshop at Minnehaha Recording Company is a welcoming and inclusive class designed for attendees of all backgrounds and experience levels. It focuses on a software and gear-agnostic approach, making it suitable for anyone interested in record and mixing. The workshop's personalized approach involves gathering information from participants to tailor the class to their specific needs, covering topics like microphone placement, recording space optimization, decision-making in the recording process, and assistance with equipment and software recommendations. Attendees also have the opportunity to bring their own music tracks for discussion and troubleshooting, creating an intimate, interactive, and collaborative learning environment. No discounts. This class meets at Minnehaha Recording Company:4501 Minnehaha Ave, Minneapolis MN 55406 Additional Information: Attendees do not have to have any specific background or experience. We may be demonstrating things in Pro Tools, but this is meant to be software (and gear) agnostic. We are not teaching a specific software at this time. We intend for this to be as beneficial to attendees as possible. Because of this, we’ll gather some info about you once you’ve signed up. Once we have this info from all participants, we can decide what might be best to focus on as class- specific styles of music, instruments, microphone placement, preamps/compression/EQ, mixing, working with artists, etc. Attendees will have the option to bring in a track of their own music or something they might have recorded to talk through the process and any challenges they may be having with it. Our goal is to keep this intimate, interactive, and collaborative. Instead of memorizing a list of high-end equipment or large format console signal flow like most audio schools teach, we want to discuss and refine things like: Basic microphone placement Making the most of your recording space Context in recording and mixing Mindful decision making and tone-seeking How do I get that sound? Is this tonal or arrangement decision actually helping the song? Assistance with any general equipment/software recommendations.

Geared towards intermediate level improvisors [all levels are still welcome!], this class will focus particularly on team and individual growth. We will intentionally implement a culture of Improv's "Yes, And" philosophy to build confidence both in improv/theatrical performance and everyday life. A further point of emphasis in this class will be stage time and getting improv reps on stage. Through consistent instructor feedback to the team and individuals, the class will draw upon foundational improv concepts and exercises from seminal texts, ranging from Keith Johnstone to the UCB to add to the student's skill sets. Students are expected to bring a mindset of learning, continuous improvement, and a "yes, and" attitude. To see maximum progress within the 8 week semester, students are allowed and encouraged to take both classes, Improv 1 & 2 and Improv 3 & 4. Together, we will work as a team getting in a ton of improv repetitions on stage, building trust, and growing as improvisors, performers, and teammates.

Learn from music producer, audio engineer, artist, and educator Medium Zach the basics of making your own music for fun, to learn, and to share. Through demonstration, lecture, Q&A, and group activity, this hour and a half class will cover the fundamentals of recording, editing, arranging, mixing, & ultimately producing your own music over the course of meeting once a week for 8 weeks. This class is for beginners, as in, doesn't have any experience with music production.

Learn from music producer, audio engineer, artist, and educator Medium Zach how to make your own music for fun, to learn, and to share. Through demonstration, lecture, Q&A, and group activity, this hour and a half class will cover recording, editing, arranging, mixing, & ultimately producing your own music over the course of meeting once a week for 8 weeks. This class is for learners who have some experience with making their own music, so therefore, this group will move at a slightly more advanced pace than the section for beginners.

Sing, dance, act and connect with fellow artists. Strengthen your personal voice and choreography to new-age and classic shows. All levels welcome.

Piano 2 is primarily for students who have taken Piano 1 at Washburn HS but is open to anyone with introductory experience. Students will be able to choose from a variety of pieces to build on their ability, and will learn more about chords and how to apply them to pop songs.

Come freely express and deeply connect in this InterPlay class where you will explore movement, storytelling, and music through improvisation and community fun. InterPlay draws on our inherent creative spark through a variety of individual, paired, and group activities that get us sharing, moving, and laughing. This class welcomes everyone, including adults, caregivers with young children, teens, and seniors.

Bring your uke, banjo, guitar, harmonica or voice and gather to share songs and tunes. Practice your skills, share music and get helpful tips in a casual atmosphere.