The School of Music is taught by some of the folk world’s top teachers. Each online session consists of four weekly lessons. Local students are encouraged to participate in Caffe Lena’s jams and open mics in order to further develop skills and become part of a folk music community.

Beginning Clawhammer Banjo with Cathy Fink

Tuesdays from 7:00pm – 8:30pm

Dates: September 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd.

This class will cover the basics of clawhammer banjo. You will learn about rhythm and melody through frailing along with a number of songs from the old-time music tradition.

Beginning Guitar with Marcy Marxer

Mondays from 7:00pm – 8:30pm

Dates: August 31st September 7th, 14th, and 21st

Each class will start with gentle warm-up exercises. We’ll work on chords and a song or songs. Each class includes a chord chart and a practice track of backup music.

Songwriting with Dan Navarro

Tuesdays from 5:00pm – 6:30pm ET

Dates: September 1st, 8th, 15th, and 22nd.

Dan will lead you in four classes exploring the basics of song structure, the dynamics of story arc, the role of repetition, the elusiveness of originality, and how-when-why to break the rules, all in the quest for a connected and satisfying form of expression and communication.

Accompaniment for Singer-Songwriters with Dan Navarro

Wednesday from 5:00pm – 6:30pm ET

Dates: September 2nd, 9th, 16th, and 23rd.

Enhance the truth of a song by creating texture on acoustic guitar. Learn new techniques for rhythm, chord shapes and picking patterns with Dan Navarro to make your songs come alive.

Blues Guitar with Guy Davis

Tuesdays from 5:00pm – 6:30pm ET

Dates:  Wednesdays from 7:00pm – 8:30pm

Guy will weave this workshop experience together with laughter, compelling story and song as well as clear instruction in technique. This is a guitar-based workshop but singers, harmonica players, and others are welcome to attend.

This course is for advanced beginners.

Clawhammer Banjo with Bruce Molsky

Wednesdays from 7:00pm – 8:30pm

Dates: September 2nd, 9th, 16th, 23rd

We’ll look at a couple of classic tunes and focus on the important elements, like phrasing and rhythm, and work on techniques such as pull-offs, drop thumbs and rolls.

Suggested experience level: If you have at least a small repertoire of tunes and feel comfortable learning short phrases by ear, then you’ll be fine.

Old-time Fiddle with Bruce Molsky

Thursdays from 7:00pm – 8:30pm

Dates: September 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th

Tunes are taught a phrase at a time, first melody, then bowing, and then piecing things together. We’ll dig into old-time music’s unique phrasing, rhythm, syncopation and intonation.

Suggested experience level: If you have at least a small repertoire of tunes and feel comfortable learning short phrases by ear, then you’ll be fine.

Instructors

Cathy Fink: Beginning Clawhammer

Cathy is one of the country’s finest clawhammer banjo players. In 1980 she became the first woman to win the West Virginia State Old Time Banjo contest, an honor she earned 3 times. In 2018 she took first place in the Banjo Competition at the Clifftop Appalachian Stringband Festival. She has taught banjo, guitar, fiddle, vocal styles, harmony singing and songwriting at music camps around the country.

Marcy Marxer: Beginning Guitar

Two-time Grammy winner Marcy Marxer is a master guitar player whose love of teaching makes her an awesome teacher for all levels. She has over 50 recordings to her credit and has been honored with 8 Signature Model Instruments.

Dan Navarro: Songwriting and Accompaniment for Songwriting

Guy Davis: Blues Guitar

Guy Davis has spent his musical life carrying his message of the blues around the world, from the Equator to the Arctic Circle, earning him the title “An Ambassador of the Blues”. His work as an actor, author, and music teacher earmark him as a renaissance man of the blues. 

Bruce Molsky: Old-Time Fiddle and Clawhammer Banjo

Bruce Molsky is one of the most revered “multi-hyphenated career” ambassadors for America’s old-time mountain music. For decades, he’s been a globetrotting performer and educator, a recording artist with an expansive discography including seven solo albums, well over a dozen collaborations and two Grammy-nominations.