, , Old Time Music Workshop – March 24

Max is teaching a weekend Old Time Music Workshop for students interested in learning old-time festival tunes by ear in a group setting. This is a great “stepping stone” towards participating in jam sessions like the 3rd Sunday Waller’s jam or summer festivals like Clifftop, Mount Airy, Bear on the Square, etc., where you have to pick up tunes on the fly.

Students will learn one or two tunes over the course of an hour using a call-and-response teaching method. Max will demonstrate a phrase on the fiddle, and students will attempt to play the phrase back on their instruments. Instruments will also be on hand to demonstrate how to “translate” a phrase from fiddle to banjo, mandolin, etc. Once the tunes are learned, students jam on it for a while and have fun with it.

Register today in the Student Portal!

, New Groups Starting Soon!

We are excited to announce our two newest groups at Guitar Shed! Reach out to the front desk or check out our group pages for more info.

, , , , , , , , Adult Recital Recap – Join a Band! We’ve got 7 Adult Ensembles at Guitar Shed – 1st rehearsal is FREE

Join a Band

What a weekend we had in January! Starting with our Adults Solo Recital at Bob and Harriet’s Home Bar on Friday and ending with our Adults Ensemble Recital at Aisle 5 on Sunday. We had several performers doing double duty, and lots of students out both nights to support each other. A packed house both nights, and everything from bluegrass to jazz, blues, R&B, and more.

Our solo recital had some great arrangements, original songs, and even a surprise set from some of our teachers. I like to keep our teachers on their toes, and we pulled together a 3-song bar band set at the end of the night. I forgot my earplugs that night, and my ears are still ringing.

On Sunday, we had some teachers fill key roles in two of the bands. Monica saved the day with R&B Ensemble and prepared 3 songs the day of with the band. She sat in, and it sounded like they’d been rehearsing together for months. Zach also filled in on drums, swinging with the Jazz Ensemble. Big thanks to our photographers, Akash Das and Addison Hill, for capturing both evenings! We still have a couple of spots in our ensembles, so please check out our ensemble page here and join a band!

Below is a list of all of our Adult Ensembles

Acoustic Ensemble – Wednesday Night Supper Club

Americana Ensemble – The Bullfrogs

Blues Ensemble – The Bobcats

Jam Ensemble

Jazz Ensemble

R&B Ensemble – We are One

Rock Ensemble – Cosmik Debris

Our bands rehearse Sunday-Friday nights in our brand new rehearsal space, Studio A. We have a full studio setup with 5 individual monitor mixes and a subwoofer. Mixes can be controlled via iPad or even from your phone, and we have top-of-the-line equipment for you to use. 2 drumsets, 2 guitar amps, bass amp, 2 keyboards, plenty of mics, and much more. Studio A is also set up for recording, so you can easily record your rehearsal by plugging in a computer to the mixer. There has never been a better time to join a band at Guitar Shed! Up until very recently, all of our bands crammed into the drum room, which is now the teacher’s lounge. Now, there is plenty of room to spread out and jam! Contact the front desk if you are interested in joining one of our bands. The first rehearsal/audition is free!

Joining a band can be intimidating at first, but we do our best to create a safe and comfortable environment for musicians of all different skill levels. If you have been thinking for a while about joining a group, this is the place for you. We are a non-competitive music school for students of all ages. In addition to our Adult Ensembles, we also have 4 teen/tween bands that rehearse in Studio A. Two of these bands are Teen Rock Bands, and we have 1 Tween Rock Band, and 1 Americana Tween Band (The Tadpoles) as well. These groups also have a few openings, which you can view here.

For teens and tweens who aren’t able to commit to a band that rehearses weekly, we have 4 sessions of our summer camp, Camp Woodshed, open in 2024. They are filling up quickly, so now is the time to register for your spot. The early bird discount ends at the end of January. At Camp Woodshed, you will have a lead instructor from Guitar Shed as well as learn from some of our other teachers during master classes each day. There is a pizza party at the end of the week with a live performance in Studio A! Guaranteed to be the best week of your summer! So, even if you can’t commit to weekly rehearsals, you can still join a band in 2024!

Join a band!

, , Should I sign my child up for the Kids and Teens Winter Recital?

kids and teens winter recital

Should I sign my child up for the Kids and Teens Winter Recital?

The answer isn’t always yes. While we would love to have ALL of our students perform at our recital, this isn’t feasible or realistic. For one, we have limited space and time available. However, the main requirement to perform in a recital is talking to your teacher. Ultimately, they will let you know if they think your child is ready to perform. Below are the criteria our teachers use to determine if you are ready.

If students don’t meet the criteria, we still encourage everyone to attend! Our Winter Kids and Teens Recital is the biggest performance of the year for us, and it is great to see all of your faces in the audience. Hopefully, your child will leave feeling inspired and participate the next time around!

Recital Criteria

Talk to your child’s teacher
This is the first step! Start a conversation with your child’s teacher if they haven’t already mentioned the recital to you. Teacher contact info is available in the student portal if you are unable to have a face-to-face conversation.

Experience
How long has your child been playing music or taking lessons? If it’s less than a few months, they probably aren’t ready to perform.

Steady Beat
Can your child play the song without speeding up or slowing down drastically? We’d rather hear a recognizable ‘Mary Had a Little Lamb’ than have them struggle through the first measure of Chopin’s Etude Opus 10 No. 4 . No song is too “easy” for a recital.

Good Tone
Good tone can be subjective, but are they able to stay on pitch and play the correct notes consistently? Try to pick a piece that your child is confident in, not one that they picked the week before the recital or one that they can only play accurately on a ‘good day.’

Creativity
We give extra points for creativity. Extra imaginary bonus points, that is, because being creative is its own reward. Ever heard a reggae version of ‘Jingle Bells’ or a punk version of a Taylor Swift song? The best part about being enrolled in private lessons is that you can work with your teacher to come up with your very own unique arrangement! If possible, try to stray away from the stock tunes in your lesson books and seek out fun, new material. We love hearing what you come up with.

Sign up in the Student Portal
If you’ve made it this far, go sign up for the recital in the Student Portal on 11/1. A $10 charge will be added to your December invoice to guarantee your spot, performers will not be charged at the door. Guests can buy tickets in advance or at the door.  We’ll see you at City Winery!

Extra tips…

This is not a competition
I repeat… this is not a competition. Everyone is in a different place on their musical journey.

Schedule an extra lesson!
Chances are you have some makeup credits available at this point in the year. Feel free to use those to schedule an extra lesson in the student portal leading up to the recital to help with jitters. If you don’t have makeup credits, contact the front desk and add an a la carte lesson.

Play with your teacher!
Unless your child is feeling super duper confident, it is probably best to have a teacher accompany your child on stage. Even if your teacher can’t make the recital, we have plenty of teachers who are up to the challenge. They are all very talented professional musicians.

Have some ‘Dress Rehearsals’
Our teacher Mr. Chris is famous for having his students perform in front of an audience of puppets. Although they aren’t animated, having an imaginary audience will help simulate the recital experience. Even better, perform for your neighbors, siblings, grandparents, and pets!

Have fun
Dress up, skip onto the stage, and take an extravagant bow; this is your time to shine!

, Camp Woodshed 2024 Dates Announced!

Camp Woodshed 2024 Dates Announced 🏕️

Early bird registration begins 12/1, and this will be our first camp in our brand-new rehearsal space Studio A.

Mark your calendars 📆!

June 10-14
June 17-21
July 15-19
July 22-26

camp woodshed

, , , Winter Recital Signup

KIDS WINTER RECITAL

We are excited to hear all of our students perform at our Kids Winter Recital on 12/2!

Registration opens on 11/1 so now is a good time to talk to your teachers and settle on a piece to play. Can’t wait to hear what everyone comes up with ❄️

Tickets are available on City Winery’s website. Individual performers do not need to buy tickets from City Winery’s website, a $10 charge will be added to your account when you register in the Student Portal to confirm your spot.

Winter Recital

, , , It’s the most wonderful time of the year…Oakhurst Porchfest

Oakhurst Porchfest

Once October rolls around in Atlanta, there seems to be an endless amount of festivities packed into one month, all culminating in the biggest holiday of the year for our younger students… Halloween. We used to give out chocolate after each lesson at Guitar Shed. As we grew as a school, our chocolate bill grew, but we also began to take the chocolate for granted. Candy after a music lesson (or any activity for that matter) is a beautiful thing, but wouldn’t it be so much more special if we only had it for one month out of the year? Alas, we have candy at the front desk through the entire month of October. And to tide you over until next October, we’ll have some more candy around Valentine’s Day.

While you are deciding between fall festivals to attend, pumpkin patches to visit, and everything that Atlanta has to offer, I hope you mark your calendar for this Saturday, October 14th, Oakhurst Porchfest. Oakhurst is one neighborhood over from us, and we have several Oakhurstian(?) students offering up their porches this weekend. For those of you unfamiliar with the event, it is a gathering of over 200 bands playing 1 hr. sets throughout the day. There is a level playing field and a true sense of camaraderie between performers and attendees. Teenage garage bands, hipster dad bands, massive Pink Floyd tributes, energetic brass bands, first-time buskers. and seasoned veterans reuniting for a one-off show. Audiences are welcome and encouraging as sound permeates throughout the neighborhood. We have a few performances on our radar this year, but if you know anyone in the Guitar Shed family that is not listed please let us know, and we’ll be sure to spread the word. This is a completely volunteer-run event, with the coordinators, hosts, and musicians all donating their time and talents to one day of musical revelry. Most of all it serves as a reminder that music is alive and well in Atlanta. Check out the Oakhurst Porchfest website for addresses and set times!

Just like the candy, it won’t be here for long, so let’s enjoy it while it’s here.

Keep Shedding!
Parker

Guitar Shed Oakhurst Porchfest Schedule

Christo Case and the Porch Pirates – featuring teachers Chris and George

Max and Maggie – featuring teacher, Max

Cosmik Debris – Guitar Shed Rock Ensemble

In Cahoots – featuring teachers Chris, George, Will, and Parker

Riff Kats – featuring members of our Guitar Shed Blues Ensemble

Oakhurst Porchfest

We are excited to announce four new Adult Ensembles this fall! Contact the front desk to sign up today!


AMERICANA ENSEMBLE

Back by popular demand, our Americana Ensemble, The Bullfrogs is returning to Guitar Shed. The group will focus on a wide variety of music that falls under the Americana moniker, country, roots, bluegrass, and folk. However, this is not a traditional music group and they will incorporate newer covers alongside the classics you know and love. Open to acoustic instruments.

Tuition is $32.50 per rehearsal, and the group is led by Max Godfrey. Contact the front desk today if you are interested in joining!

If you like: Wilco, Rhiannon Giddens, Willie Nelson, Gillian Welch

When: Mondays 8:15-9:15

Where: Guitar Shed Lobby

 


JAM ENSEMBLE

Ready to take your noodling to the next level? Jam Ensemble is currently enrolling students who are looking to improvise with like-minded musicians in a group setting.  Tuition is $32.50 per rehearsal, and the group is led by Zach Judsen. Contact the front desk today if you are interested in joining!

If you like: The Grateful Dead, The Allman Brothers Band, Phish, Widespread Panic, Medeski Martin and Wood

When: Mondays 8:15-9:15

Where: Studio A


 

JAZZ ENSEMBLE

Jazz Ensemble will focus on improvisation techniques, learning to play in a combo setting, listening exercises, and building a jazz vocabulary. The group will primarily focus on material from the Blue Note era. Open to all instruments.

Tuition is $32.50 per rehearsal, and the group is led by Craig Cunningham. Contact the front desk today if you are interested in joining!

If you like: Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Joe Henderson, Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Wayne Shorter

When: Wednesdays 8:15-9:15

Where: Studio A


R&B ENSEMBLE

Announcing our newest group, R&B Ensemble. This group is open to adults only, and all of our guitar spots are already full. We are now enrolling keys, drums, and vocals. Rehearsals are Fridays from 6:30-7:30 starting 8/11/2023.

Tuition is $32.50 per rehearsal, and the group is led by Sean McMorris. Contact the front desk today if you are interested in joining!

If you like: The Isley Brothers, Frankie Beverly and Maze, Aretha Franklin, Beyonce, Tony! Toni! Toné!

When: Fridays 6:30-7:30

Where: Studio A

Announcing our newest group starting in mid-August, R&B Ensemble. This group is open to adults only, and all of our guitar spots are already full. We are now enrolling keys, bass, drums, and vocals. Tuition is $32.50 per rehearsal and the group is led by Sean McMorris. Contact the front desk today if you are interested in joining!

, , , , , Piano Shed Returns in August!

We are excited to announce our group piano class, Piano Shed 🎹 is returning in August. Sign up before July 1st, and the first class is FREE!

We have 2 afternoon sections and a dedicated room for group piano lessons. The cost for Piano Shed is $32.50 per class.

No experience is required, we are using a multi-tiered curriculum that is great for complete beginners to intermediate students ages 7-12. One of the things we have learned over the past few years is the importance of playing music together!

In Piano Shed, the students will learn how to use musical structure to inform their improvisational direction, read charts, and learn chords and scales. There will also be opportunities to explore different keyboard sounds and use auxiliary percussion to accompany the jam. Space is limited, so sign up today by calling or emailing the front desk.