Group Classes
Handmade Music School offers a variety of group classes. These classes offer participants the ability and opportunity to play with others in a group setting where everyone is learning together. If learning in community is better for you, we have lots of great opportunities to learn with your friends and family members. From our Handmade Group Classes to our Youth Stringband Program, join us for these fun classes.
How Our Group Classes Work
Handmade From Scratch – Group Classes
Our “Handmade From Scratch” Group Classes are designed for folks just beginning their musical journey. These classes focus on basic skills on your instrument, playing music with others, and are designed to introduce students to the joys of making music.
Minimum of three people required. Classes are suitable for ages 14 and up!
Cost is $100 to attend all four classes, or $30 to drop-in for a single session!
Classes will be held at The Floyd Country Store from 6:30 pm to 7:45 pm on the dates listed below.
OLD TIME ENSEMBLE
Class Dates: October 7th, 14th, 21st, and 28th
Join us for a multi-instrument class featuring banjo, fiddle, guitar with Mac Traynham, Jared Boyd, and Isak Howell!
BUILDING A BLUEGRASS BAND
Class Dates: November 11th, 18th, and December 2nd and 9th (skipping Thanksgiving week)
Join us for a multi-instrument class featuring mandolin, guitar, and banjo!
To Register
Click on the registration link below, and select the session you wish to attend (Old Time Ensemble or Building a Bluegrass Band).
Then select the pricing option related to your enrollment: “all four sessions,” or a “single class”. For a single class, select which date you plan to attend!
Would you like to pay offline via cash or check? Email us and we’ll get you set up!
Teen Program
Tuesday Teen Pilot Program! Tuesdays at 6-8pm
We are excited to announce that we will be starting our first teen focused program! The weekly program will run for 12 weeks, with six weeks each dedicated to Old Time and Bluegrass music.
Topics and skills within each genre will be shared and programming will be designed based on the skill level and interests of the students in the program. Activities like active listening, analyzing musical parts, recording, band dynamics and more will be included.
Pre-Registration will be helpful and students can come on the week that they are most interested in (Old Time or Bluegrass) or both.
Dates
Old Time: Sept 15, Sept 29, Oct 13, Oct 27, Nov 10, Dec 1 (no class the week of Thanksgiving)
Bluegrass: Sept 22, Oct 6, Oct 20, Nov 3, Nov 17, Dec 8
Cost per student will be on a sliding scale starting from $10-$20 per class (between $60 and $120 for a six week session, or between $120 and $240 for the entire 12 week program).
Youth Stringband Program
Ages 7 – 13
This special group class program is offered in (2) 15 week sessions in winter/spring and in the fall each year. This weekly gathering for youths age 7-13 is designed to explore traditional music, dance, and arts from areas around the Blue Ridge Plateau of Southwest Virginia. More expansively, it is a community of youth and families connected by their interest in learning about and taking care of the traditions of our Appalachian people and places.
Joy JAmmers
Joy Jammers is a joyful, interactive group musical experience for children and their caregivers. This class is designed to foster a love of music while building foundational musical skills, safe connection, secure attachment, and healthy community. Joy Jammers is recommended for children between the ages of 0 and 6 years of age.
Click on the link below to learn more about Joy Jammers, including our sliding scale tuition, and to register to attend an upcoming session!
Fall Session Enrollment is NOW OPEN! The Fall session will run until December 4th – enroll now to join this incredible class!
Band Coaching Sessions
All Ages
Our Handmade Music School Band Coaching Sessions are available for a group of musicians to seek the advice of one of our HMS teachers in order to fine tune aspects of their band’s goals. Our teachers can work with ensembles to work on: the role of each instrument, arrangements, harmony singing, stage presence and stage craft, repertoire, tempos, intros and outros (or taters and tags), recording and many facets of performance that a band needs to work on.
Band Coaching Fees
Cost is $25 per person per 60 minute coaching session. Minimum of 3 people required.
Handmade Group Classes (Intermediate & Advanced)
All Ages (age-specific for each group class)
Handmade Group Classes (Intermediate & Advanced) are designed for folks taking their music, dance or singing to the next level. These classes focus on a deeper dive into your instrument, building repertoire, and introducing more advanced concepts to embellish your musical journey.
Choose between guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, bass, dance or singing for beginners. Group classes are 60 minutes long. Minimum of three people required.
| CLASS FEES | 1-class | 4-week | 6-week |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kids (below 18) | $20 | $80 | $120 |
| Adults (18+) | $25 | $100 | $150 |
