For our adult students, lifelong music and artistic learning is our goal…

Computer-Based Music Creation and Production

Ages: Grades 9-adult

Learn the basics of Computer-Based Music Creation and Production in this engaging, results-oriented 12-week course. Course will cover basics of digital vs. analog production (gear and signal flow), the ins and outs of the Digital Audio Workstation, virtual instruments and sample libraries, recording live vocals, guitars, drums, etc., using effects (ie. reverb and delay), mixing,  and bouncing down to a final file (mp3, wav, aiff, etc.)

Required materials: a minimum 256mb thumb drive, notebook, music notation paper.

Tuition: $360 for 12-week session

Songwriting for Adults

Learn the basics of songwriting in this fun, in-depth 10-week course. Course will cover basic chord progressions, lyric writing, melody writing, vocal harmony and countermelodies, vocal and instrumental motifs, creative ways to combat writer’s block, and more. Students will also study great pop hits from the mid-20th-century to the present day.

Students must choose to specialize in either guitar or piano. No prior experience on either instrument is required, but piano is recommended for those who do not play either instrument.

Required materials: acoustic guitar or piano keyboard, computer (no Chromebooks, please)

Tuition: $300 per 10 week session

Group Voice for Seniors

Gradual voice changes are a normal part of aging.  Just like other muscles in your body, the muscles of your vocal folds and respiratory system need exercise to stay physically fit.  This class focuses on ways to keep your singing voice sounding strong and healthy as you age.  Participants will engage in a variety of vocal exercises and songs designed to activate all facets of the voice in this 10-week course.  No prior singing experience is necessary!

Tuition: $230 per 10 week session

Music Reading for Adults: The Basics

Have you always wanted to know more about reading music?  Do you want to feel more confident when singing in your community, church, or synagogue choir?  Do you know how to play an instrument by ear but want to further your skills by playing from printed music? Students will learn the names of all pitches on the staff and be able to find them on the piano keyboard, learn to read and begin to demonstrate rhythms ranging in complexity from whole notes to sixteenth notes, and learn to recognize and understand other basic elements of musical notation such as key signatures, time signatures, and dynamic markings in this 12-week course.

Tuition: $250 per 10 week session

Adult Improv Comedy

taught by guest instructor Mariangela Saavedra

Improvisation (Improv) is a centuries-old art form that has been used mainly in the performing arts, specifically in comedy. Join us for this fun and entertaining 4-week class where we will learn about and practice Short Form Improv (as seen on the TV show Whose Line Is It Anyway?). Through the interactive exercises and activities taught in this class, you will be able to experience learning on an intellectual, physical and emotional level while having a great time! Whether you are looking for a new creative outlet, to become more confident on stage, or to improve your public speaking skills, this class is for you! There will be a showcase for family and friends on the last session of this class where you will be able to show off your new comedy skills!

Tuition: $210 for 6-week session

About the instructor: Mariangela Saavedra has been working in Theater for 27 years in cities across the country. She is the Founder and Artistic Director of Casabuena Cultural Productions, a community theater and film company based in Germantown/Mt Airy. She has worked for the Tony Award winning Victory Gardens Theater in Chicago, The Kimmel Center here in Philadelphia and was the Director of Drama and Voice at Cape Fear School of the Arts in Wilmington. She had taught theater classes for youth and adults at Allens Lane Art Center from 2016-2023 and has directed many plays on local stages such as Talk Radio,  An Adult Evening of Shel Silverstein,  I Hate Hamlet, On Golden Pond, Rogues Gallery and The Insanity of Mary Girard among others.