(Get me to the nearest Blues Jam)

All levels Welcome

You’ve learned your chords and even a few songs, but now you want to improvise and solo with a band!

First of all, what is a ‘blues jam’?

BLUES JAMs take place in bars and music venues all across America. These are the places where blues musicians network, beginners go to learn the basics and more experienced players go to hone their skills.  Look around and you’re likely to find one close to home. If not, by the end of this class maybe you’ll want to start one.

In this 6-week workshop we’ll learn all kinds of soloing strategies and techniques, plus some of the language of the blues, and the culture around these drop-in jams.

We’ll explore the basic chord structures and rhythms of the blues, some simple scales and patterns used to improvise a solo, and how to apply them in the moment.  What’s a 1-4-5?  12 bars?  8 bars? shuffle?  swing?  rumba?  rock & roll ? a ‘quick 4’?  What does ‘down from the five’ mean? 

Find out all that and more.

Instructor Evan Schwartz is a veteran blues guitar player, instructor, and a 30-year devotee of the many 'Blues Jams' across the Tri-State region.  He’s had the honor of performing with some of the world’s finest blues musicians as they come through the region.   Evan is currently performing with 'The Downside Up’ trio, an original blues, country, folk, and R&B outfit they call ‘Americlecticana.’

Register Here
6 Wednesdays
Nov 5-Dec 17 , 7:30-9:00PM
NO CLASS THANKSGIVING WEEK

How do You Work This?

It is time to take control of your live sound situation. Make your PA system Sound Good Like It Should! (Not to mention your guitar, pedals, amplifier, and anything else you're wrestling with). You deserve to sound your best, (you need to sound your best)—whether you're rehearsing or playing a gig. 

And it's you who needs to be in charge. In this hands-on how-to with Stephen Clair you will learn how to make the gear work FOR you.

In this workshop, we will make sense of the knobs, the faders, speakers, mixers, microphones, monitors, power, cables (and how to wrap those cables). From load-in to load-out. How to avoid feedback, how to combat feedback. 

Bring questions.  None of this stuff needs to be a mystery. 

Roll up your sleeves for this one.

REGISTER HERE
Sun Oct 26 2025
11am-2pm

What Is Good Sound?
Your Introduction to Making the Recordings You Want

We've been thinking for so long about offering recording classes at BMF, and that has a lot to do with how recording in the 21st century has become a complicated prospect. It doesn't need to be.   

Because when it comes down to it, recording should be about listening. 

Along comes engineer/mastering engineer (instructor) Matthew Agoglia with an approach that makes complete and total sense to us. And we are really excited to offer this workshop.

If so many radically different kinds of recordings "sound good" how can you know where to begin? Each of those recordings achieve their magic through very different means. The common thread isn't technical specs or gear - it's that the sound serves the story the music is trying to tell. 

Maybe all you really need is one $100 microphone and GarageBand to make a great sounding recording. 

We’ll spend this workshop talking and listening. Talking about how we can reframe the way we think about recording; and listening to great sounding recordings that are all great for all kinds of reasons, circumstances, and maybe even limitations.

— What story is this music trying to tell?
— What emotional journey might the listener experience?
— How can the recording quality support and amplify that story?

Let’s think about ‘recording’ as creative storytelling, not documentation.

Join us for this super insightful and hopefully inspiring recording workshop.

REGISTER HERE
$75
Oct 5 
11am-2pm
Instructor Matthew Agoglia