Brazilian Guitar Styles

INSTRUCTOR: Rick Udler

DATE: Sunday, September 7

TIME: 1:30 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.

Critically-acclaimed Brazilian recording artist Rick Udler discusses and demonstrates styles, techniques, and rhythms of Brazil’s greatest players from the bossa nova, samba, and choro traditions.

Visit Rick's website

The Art of Songwriting

INSTRUCTOR: Jim Bruno

DATE: October 11, 12, and 18 (3 sessions)

TIME: 1:00 P.M. - 4:00 P.M.

In addition to his own repertoire of original composition, San Francisco-based performing songwriter Jim Bruno has seen his originals recorded by the likes of Shawn Colvin, Mary Lou Lord, Cliff Eberhardt, Laurie MacAllister, Chuck Prophet, and Thad Cockrell.

In this three-session workshop, Jim will work as a coach for people who have begun writing songs, rather than novices, focusing on rewrites and developing new material, covering topics such as song structure, poetic devices, melody, co-writing, song concepts, and rhyming schemes. The final session will include student performances.

Take the Stage Band Workshop

WORKSHOP LEAD INSTRUCTOR: Dave Zimmerman

GUEST INSTRUCTORS INCLUDE: Kathy Kallick, Megan Lynch, Jim Nunally

ADVANCE BAND COACHING: Laurie Lewis

PROGRAM DIRECTOR: Hilary Perkins

DATES: 8 weekly sessions - September 14 – November 17
Sunday afternoon/evenings, or Monday evenings

TIME: 2 hours per week, times TBA

FEE: $350.00

For information: To apply, fill out application form. (Application is in PDF format and can be filled out on your computer and printed.)

Do you enjoy playing bluegrass or folk for fun, at home, in your spare time? Do you and your friends get together for some pickin' and singin' every so often? Ever wonder what it might be like to play in a group, on stage in front of friends and fans?

Well here's your chance to take the stage at the Freight & Salvage, the Bay Area's premier venue for bluegrass, folk, and American roots music!!

The "Take the Stage" workshop is a eight-session program designed to give amateur, play-at-home musicians a chance to participate in a band of their peers, develop a sound of their own, culminating in a live performance at the Freight! In two-hour sessions each week, band participants will develop a set of songs for their concert, learning singing, harmony vocals, soloing, playing backup, band dynamics and more.

Bands are coached each week by a lead instructor, who is a professional musician. There will be 2-4 special sessions in each workshop taught by bluegrass greats—professional musicians with extensive performing and recording experience.

While workshops have been centered on bluegrass in the past, other genres (country, western swing, old-time, ....) are welcome, provided there are a sufficient number of participants to form a band.

Participants should already be playing at an advanced-beginner or intermediate level. Informal auditions will be provided to place each individual with compatible partners.

Advanced Band Coaching now also offered: This is a new program for existing semi-professional or professional bands who would like to get to the next level of musicianship. Space limited and auditions required. For more information on cost and program:

So bring out your banjo, guitar, dobro, fiddle, mandolin, or bass and best singing voice and make some music!!!

The "Take the Stage" Workshop was created by Hilary Perkins, Lou Ponticas, and Dan Barbee and is a project of the Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse and Nell Robinson Music (www.nellrobinsonmusic.com).