501 E. 21 Street
Little Rock, AR, 72206 | Phone : 501-993-6113
Community Music Classes— FIRST CLASS FREE
Make Friends, Make Music, Build Community
Donation Based -Pay What-You-Can Tuition
• Community Guitar Lab • Community Jazz Band • Collaborative Digital Audio Production/Beat Making • Songwriting • Community Choir • Week Long Summer Camps • Kids Eat Free
Every Saturday
BREAKFAST 9-9:30 AM
K-5 Guitar Lab 9:30-10
12 & Up Guitar Lab 10 AM -11:30 AM
LUNCH 11:30 AM- 12:30 PM Mix with The Masters Watch Party
Collaborative Digital Audio Production/Beat Making 12:30 PM - 2 PM
Community Jazz Band 2 PM - 3:30 PM (Monthly Jam 4-6 pm)
Contact Us Below To Learn More or call 501-993-6113
✶
Make Friends
✶
Make Music
✶
Build Community
✶ Make Friends ✶ Make Music ✶ Build Community
Weekly Classes :
Community Guitar Lab
Saturdays
K-5 9:30-10 (Suggested Donation $15)
Students 12 & Up 10 AM - 11:30 AM
Suggested Donation $25/week
Note: Students should have their own acoustic or electric guitar and amp.
K-5 beginners are invited to a short group lesson on Saturdays from 9-9:30 am. This fun and interactive group class teaches young students basic rhythms and simple melodies using the guitar, boom whackers, desk bells, clapping, and singing. Parents, please have students arrive 5-10 minutes early and pick up on time so class can start and end on time.
The Community Guitar Lab is for beginner and intermediate players 12 years old and up who are already playing and practicing consistently or are dedicated to doing so. This class is for students dedicated to taking their playing to the next level by learning fundamentals like chords, arpeggios, and scales, and applying them by learning to play classic songs with others in a jazz, rock, RnB, or other band setting. Every week students will focus on learning songs that combine fundamental concepts essential to playing guitar in an ensemble or band.
This class is held every Saturday from 10 am - 11:30 am and includes a FREE LUNCH for K-12 kids from 11:30-12:30. Adults are welcome to bring your own lunch or grab a burger from the Smashed and Stacked food truck across the street. Every Saturday during the lunch hour we will be watching select videos from the “Mix with the Masters” series on digital audio production. Guitar Lab students will gain insight into the process of writing and recording original music ideas. Guitar Lab Students are highly encouraged to stay for Collaborative Digital Audio Production/Beat Making from 12:30 -2 and Community Jazz Band from 2-3:30.
Digital Music Production
Saturdays 12:30 PM - 2 PM
Suggested Donation $25/week
The Digital Music Production class is a Collaborative Digital Audio Production/Beat Making class ideal for anyone interested in learning to record instruments, make beats, or produce their own music using computer, tablet, or smartphone apps like Garage Band, Logic, and Studio One.
This class is facilitated by Read Admire with hands-on lectures and demonstrations by Gavin Hawkins and Patrick Washington, both professional musicians and audio engineers who have created audio tracks for major label artists and major motion pictures.
The class meets on Saturdays from 12:30 - 2 pm and students are encouraged to bring their instrument. Students are also encouraged to come to the Mix with the Masters lunch from 11:30-12:30 when we will be watching select videos from the “Mix with the Masters” series on digital audio production. Through the video series, students will watch today’s producers show how they make songs for top artists like Billie Eilish, Taylor Swift, andBeyonce. This video series will give students insight into the process of writing and recording original music ideas. After lunch we will use some of the concepts learned from watching Mix with the Masters in the group class to collaboratively create original songs.
Each month the class will collaborate to create an original recording. Every week the class will explore different elements of the production process. For example week 1 might be recording drums and scratch tracks; week 2 over dubbing; week 3 mixing and editing; week 4 mastering.
In this weekly class students will learn basic concepts of sound engineering like how to mic instruments and vocals, how to add effects like reverb, delay, and compression, how to use drum machines to program beats, and how to use MIDI in input synthesized instruments.
Every week students will learn tips and tricks to create their own high quality audio recordings.
This class is open to everyone and there are no requirements for participation other than an eagerness to learn music production through community collaboration.
Community Jazz Band
Saturdays 2 PM - 3:30 PM
Suggested Donation $25/week
The Community Jazz Band is ideal for any one dedicated to learning how to play an instrument (guitar, bass, piano, drums woodwind, brass, or strings) in a jazz, rock, RnB, or other band settings.
This class is held every Saturday from 2 pm -3:30 pm and is led by two of Little Rock’s best jazz saxophone teachers, Dave Williams, and UCA Jazz Studies Professor Brandon Dorris.
In this weekly class students will be guided through basic concepts of jazz ensemble playing including scales, chords, and learning melodies and techniques for improvisation. Reperatoire for this class is based on Arkansas All Region and All State try out materials for Junior High and Senior High Jazz band.
Every week students will focus on learning songs that teach concepts essential to playing in a jazz band as well as other band settings (Jazz, Rock, RnB, Hip Hop, Country Folk etc).
Requirements for participation :
Have an instrument and highly dedicated to learning on their own at home. Not required but highly encouraged: Playing in band at school and taking private lessons.
Students should have their own instrument. If a student does not have their own instrument we will work with you to find one on loan.
Students are highly encouraged to come for free lunch from 11:30-12:30 and Digital Music Production from 12:30-2pm. Jazz Band Students who come to the Digital Music Production class will have the opportunity to arrange instruments and play on live recordings.
Community Choir
Coming Soon…
Suggested Donation $25/week
The Community Choir is an all ages choir open to seasoned choral singers and beginners alike. By providing a weekly space to meet and sing, the Community Choir is a place where all voices are welcome to be lifted!
Each month features a different choir leader from within the Central Arkansas choral community. Repertoire varies from traditional hymns and choral music to arrangements of popular songs to choral arrangements of works written by local singer-songwriters who wish to feature the Community Choir.
The Community Choir will perform in public quarterly, whether in a park, a church, a school, or a bar— anywhere that we can sing!
How it works
Pay What You Can
Scheduling
Use the “Sign Up” button to complete the form—sign up for the classes you want to enroll in
We encourage students to come weekly to experience what it takes to build a performing ensemble.
If student can not make it please let us know in advance so we can plan meals accordingly
Payment options
Pay what you can as you go OR
Save by making a monthly donation pledge
We accept cash, check, card, Venmo, and Ca$hApp
Meals
We partner with Bridge-2-Success and PotLuck Food Rescue to provide FREE BREAKFAST and FREE LUNCH each week starting May 17.
We ask that students sign up for at least one month at a time so we can plan meals ahead of time
Please let us know about any dietary restrictions, and we’ll do out best to accommodate
Pay What You Can:
Our classes are set up on a sliding-scale donation based model. Below are recommended donations for different class packages. We will never turn any one away based on their ability to pay. We do ask to pay what you can, as this helps us feed students, pay rent, and pay instructors.
1 Weekly Group Class
Suggested Donation:
$25/week or $80/month
Popular
2 Weekly Group Classes
Suggested Donation:
$40/week or $140/month
3 Weekly Group Classes
Suggested Donation:
$60/week or $175/month
Best value
What Students Are Saying:
“
I love getting to make music with my friends every week . Making music with friends makes learning songs easier and WAY more fun. I love learning different styles like blues, jazz, rock, and pop. I also really enjoy learning to write and record my own music.
“
The in-person classes are so much more helpful than trying to find the right YouTube video. I’m learning how to make beats and produce music that sounds like my favorite artists— and I’m making a lot of new music friends along the way too!
