clawhammer banjo camp w/ helen forsythe & mike sawyer

Workshop to be scheduled according to student interest.

Take home some new tunes, learn helpful tips, and enhance your jamming proficiency as you spend a day with the world’s best folks – banjo players! This one-day camp is intended for intermediate clawhammer players who know their way around the instrument. Each instructor will teach a tune in the morning session, tab for the tunes will be provided. Then we’ll all gather for a midday jam session filled with tips and tricks for playing with others and ideas for continued improvement. In the afternoon, each instructor will share a more focused concept, exercise or practice technique to help build our banjo skills. For those who wish to stick around into the evening, we’ll grab some eats and then enjoy an informal jam session on the patio (hopefully joined by a few local fiddlers, bass players, and others..) Click here for details and registration.

beginner & intermediate guitar seminar w/ rick schulz

Classes organized according to student interest (contact us for further info)

SYLLABUS If you’ve ever wanted to start playing guitar or move beyond a primary skill set, join Rick Schulz for ongoing classes on how to have fun while learning to play. In a low pressure group setting, Rick will emphasize the easiest methods to get the musical ball rolling so you can enjoy your guitar by yourself, with family, or by the campfire. If you don’t have access to a guitar, we can help provide you with one for the class. Each seminar consists of three one-hour sessions. Cost is $75 total ($25 each). Pay all at once, or pay as you go. These seminars are scheduled on demand, when we have enough students to fill a class. Learn more about Rick on our Lessons page.

songwriting workshop w/ rick schulz

Classes organized according to student interest (contact us for further info)

In a series of one-hour sessions, Rick will will help guide participants through various aspects and techniques of songwriting. Generating song ideas, crafting relevant lyrics, and composing musical accompaniment are just some of the topics that will be covered. Insights from these sessions will give you a new tool kit to create your own compositions. Bringing a guitar is encouraged but not required. Each seminar consists of three one-hour sessions. Cost is $90 total ($30 each). Pay all at once, or pay as you go. These seminars are scheduled on demand, when we have enough students to fill a class. Learn more about Rick on our Lessons page.

sunday jazz jam w/ Martha Larson

Sundays from 4:00 - 5:30 PM

Open to musicians of all ages and abilities, the Sunday Jazz Jam is a perfect way to run through standard charts in a low-key, laid-back setting. We provide the music so everyone can follow along. We choose 2-3 "tunes of the month" so everyone has a chance to dig deep into a few specific tunes that we'll all get to know well. Then we open it up for suggestions, bring your favorite tune or learn something new! $5 suggested donation.

Bluegrass and Old Time Jam w/ Helen Forsythe

Coming back soon…check the Calendar for updates.

Hot Spot Music's resident banjo instructor, Helen Forsythe, hosts a lightly facilitated bluegrass and old time jam (all instruments welcome, but banjos guaranteed). Open to all skill levels, and is a great opportunity to get together with other musicians, learn new tunes, and show off the ones you know! $5 suggested donation. Learn more about Helen on our Lessons page.

UKE Jam w/ rachel gordon-mercer

2nd and 4th Tuesday from 7:00 - 8:30 PM (Check the Calendar to confirm it’s on…)

Bring your own uke to this easy-going jam that is guaranteed to put a smile on your face. Open to all skill levels, charts and tab are projected onscreen. $5 suggested donation.

The weekly standard

See calendar for upcoming classes

Learn jazz standards and build better practice technique with basic instructions, easy exercises and no nonsense. This class is for musicians who want to gain a deeper understanding of a particular song and decode its basic underlying theory without drowning in technical details. Open to all instruments (including voice) and all levels, but ability to play major and minor scales on your instrument is helpful. We will study one standard per class session. Classes are $12 for one or $20 for two.

improvisation workshop w/ david bloom

Next session: TBD Know you can play, but want to take your skills to the next level? Feel like you still play at the same level you did a year ago? Have a band that's been relying on the same routine for years? New to jazz and looking for some inspiration to decode its mysteries and get you in the game? Chicago-based master jazz educator David Bloom, winner of the 2017 Jazz Institute of Chicago award, will awaken your musical sensibilities and raise your playing to new heights. Click here for full description.

For examples of Bloom's teaching style and students, check the following links: