Classes

Traditions Weeks are broken into five periods. Each period contains a list of available classes. Some classes span multiple periods. Browse the periods below, filter by category, or download this week's schedule. REMINDER: Classes are ALL-VIRTUAL in 2021!

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Evening Events

Adventures in Portrait Painting

Working from life, as well as photographic references, students will learn basics of portrait painting.

African American Spirituals, Gospels and Civil Rights Songs

Singing in the Spirit, Songs of Hope, Faith and Freedom

Alternate Tunings for Fiddle

Learn the classic tunings of Old-Time music with Earl White!

Beginners Bodhran

Learn to play the quintessential Celtic drum with Ewan Baird of Scotland's Paul McKenna Band!

Beginning Fiddle with Mairi McGillivray

Learn the basics of fiddle playing with Mairi McGillivray of Scotland!

Beginning Mandolin

Learn the basics of mandolin chords and accompaniment!

Beginning Piano

Learn to play piano by ear, including improvising, basic song progressions, rhythmic grooves, major and minor blues scales and more.

Bill Monroe Mandolin II with Chris Henry

Dive deeper into Bill Monroe's style of mandolin playing - by ear! - with Chris Henry.

Blues Mandolin I

Explore the rich history of Mando Blues with Christopher James!

DADGAD Guitar

Get to know DADGAD! DADGAD tuning creates a melodious soundscape that supports, enhances and propels lyrics and tunes.

Functional and Fun Pottery

This class offers students a hands-on approach to creating pieces with different functions built in a variety of ways: coil, pinch, and hand building.

Guitar Chord Bootcamp

Get to know every major and minor chord in every key - and more!

Hammered Dulcimer International

An intermediate-level hammered dulcimer workshop with repertoire from around the world, from Celtic to Klezmer to Asian and more!

Irish Music: A Potted History of the Culture

A concise history course for teachers ( or anyone ! ) on Irish traditional music

Knit One: An Introduction to Knitting

Learn all the basic skills needed to knit a simple dish cloth.

Medieval Perspectives on Modern Crises

The division and struggle we are now experiencing has happened before, 700 years ago. What can we learn from those who survived to tell their tales?

Monsters: The Folklore and Literature of Horror

Don't turn out the lights! This class will look at monsters, from the folklore that inspired it, to the human elements is parodies, its literary appearances, and how the monster is portrayed today.

Morning Yoga: Yawn-Stretch-Yoga

A great way to start your day - with yoga!

Needle Felting a 3-D Barn Owl

Use needle felting to create a barn owl.

Nonviolence - "Now Wasn't That Creative?"

The ideas and the practices of nonviolence are often highly imaginative and remind us how powerful creativity can be - not only in the arts but anywhere that change finds some wiggle room to blossom.

Storytelling 1: The Stories Inside Us

Examine the ingredients needed to tell a personal story in such a way as to make it leap off our tongues and into the mind of a listener.

Tin Whistle with Conal McDonagh of the Paul McKenna Band

Learn Scottish and Irish repertoire by ear on the tin whistle, as well as some ornamentation. Category: Wind & Free Reed

Traditional and Modern Irish Song

Singers, instrumentalists and listeners welcome! Learn great Irish songs from the tradition, as well as new songs crafted in the tradition.

Ukrainian Eggs: The Art of Pysanky

Explore the ancient and colorful art of decorating eggs with wax-resist method.

iPhone Explored

Discover the artistic potential of your iPhone camera

Bass with Mark Schatz

For players of all levels, this class will focus on improving your technique and broadening your knowledge of practical bass lines.

Beginning Uilleann Pipes with Conal McDonagh of the Paul McKenna Band

Learn the basics of the Uilleann pipes! Observers welcome. Category: Wind & Free Reed

Beginning Ukulele with Chris James

Ukulele for the absolute beginner

Blues Fingerstyle Guitar with Guy Davis

Guy Davis is not only a master of the blues, but he is also a master instructor. This is a guitar-based workshop but singers, harmonica players, and others are welcome to attend.

Celtic Dance: A Ceili!

Learn a step dance, a traditional dance, or a little song from the Celtic nations of Ireland, Scotland, or Wales.

Gaelic Song

Explore the beautiful world of Gaelic song with Mairi McGillivray of Scotland.

Garageband 101

Learn to use Garageband for practicing, recording demos, and song writing.

Hidden Bias in Curricular Resources

Curricular resources (books, digital media, worksheets, etc.) can contain hidden messaging that impedes inclusivity and negatively impacts student success. Particularly recommended for teachers.

Intermediate Bodhran Workshop

Improve your sticking and tonal technique with Ewan Baird of Scotland's Paul McKenna Band!

Irish Tenor Banjo with Conor Markey

For Improving Beginner to Intermediate levels students. Improve your technique and learn some tunes from Scotland, Ireland and America with Conor Markey of Scotland's Paul McKenna Band.

Jazz Mandolin and Jazz Guitar

For mandolin and guitar players. Learn the 24 points of advice for jazz musicians by Thelonius Monk and much more.

Magic

Join Dave Thomen for some tips that go beyond mere tricks and treats.

Old-Time Fiddle Variety Pack

Discover old-time fiddle tunes from different regions with the Clifftop 2019 Appalachian Fiddle Champion, Nokosee Fields!

Playing for Your Community

This workshop gives you all the tools you need to lift up patients, their families and support staff at hospitals, assisted living facilities and more, .

Poetry of Hope: Of Hopeful Green Stuff Woven

In this class we will look at poems that acknowledge pain and difficult times but offer a final message of hope.

Scales Bootcamp for Mandolin

Do you hate scales? This class will change your mind. Learn how to get the most out of scales!

Scottish Fiddle: Tunes and Ornamentation

Learn Scottish fiddle from Robbie Greig, winner of the coveted Niel Gow Scottish Fiddle Award and member of Scotland's Paul McKenna Band!

Scottish Guitar with Paul McKenna

Transform your guitar playing…and the musical growth you are capable of achieving with Paul McKenna.

Storytelling and Your Instrument

Learn to use your instrument (harp, guitar, fiddle, ukulele or more) to make stories come alive - whether for your children, at schools, or as an introduction to a tune.

Teaching Children About Racial Justice

Sparky and Rhonda Rucker demonstrate how they use song and story as jumping-off points for real-world conversations with students of all ages.

Abstracts of Wildlife and Nature Using Pastels and Mixed Mediums

Looking at details in feathers, flowers, tree branches and bark, create abstract works in soft pastels, charcoal, or mixed mediums.

African and Jamaican Songs

Learn songs from West and South Africa and the Caribbean, including games, sacred songs, and more.

After Beginning Guitar: Songs, Chords and Scales

Learn the basics of playing the melody, developing accompaniments, and other useful techniques.

Chord Basics for Mandolin

Throw away those chord diagrams! This class will give you the tools to play chords and never look back.

Harmonica with Guy Davis: Rack & Box or In Your Hands

Learn from a legend! Grammy nominee and Handy Award winner Guy Davis will teach you to accompany songs with your harmonica, whether in a rack or in your hands. Category: Wind & Free Reed

Hidden Voices

Lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer folks make important impacts on traditional music, but we rarely hear all the meanings in their stories. We will uncover some of these previously hidden people and the music they made. Categories: General Knowledge

How to Create Celtic Sets

In Celtic fiddle music, tunes are often paired up in groups to create a “set” of tunes. This course is for intermediate players of instrumental Celtic music who wish to create their own sets of tunes. NOTE: This is NOT a Celtic session!

Indigenous Survey Class: Wilding, Poetry, Maryland and Games

Discover the brilliant history of Native American and Indigenous Peoples, especially in the Maryland and mid-Atlantic area.

Italian American Mandolin and Guitar

Mandolin and guitar players: explore the unexpectedly sophisticated world of Italian American music!

Magic - Advanced Class (Week 1)

Take your magic skills to the next level!

Nature Writing

Set your mind, body, & soul free by exploring the great outdoors with some iconic writers before crafting your own words inspired by nature's vast canvas.

Old-Time Repertoire Builder

Build your old-time fiddle repertoire with one of the best - Earl White!

Photographic Storytelling

Go beyond simple snapshots with your DSLR camera to create compelling photographs that tell a story, be it a portrait or a landscape.

Polymer Clay with Minimal Tools

Learn to use polymer clay to create jewelry, functional objects or wall art.

Reading Music Made Easier

In a stress-free environment, learn shortcuts that allow you to relate what you see on the page to what you already know how to do on your instrument.

Samaritans at the Border, Immigrants Among Us

This workshop will focus on globalization and how it affects communities which in turn stimulate immigration into our First World country. It will lift up the plight of the migrant and illuminate the deep instinct for survival and love of family.

Songs and Tunes for Summer for Harp and Others

Learn a variety of tunes or songs that are in some way related to the season of Summer. The class focus is harp, but all instruments welcome! Category: Harp, Guitar, Fiddle, Banjo, Mandolin, Wind, Banjo

Songs of Social Justice with David Roth

Can a song make a difference? Join us to find out!

Songwriting with Paul McKenna

Discover tools and tips to improve your songwriting in this workshop with Paul McKenna, who is ranked among Scotland's finest young singers and songwriters!

Southern Appalachian Flat-Footing and Clogging

Come and learn how to keep time with your feet in a class that captures the feel of an old-time music and dance party.

Stories of the Civil Rights Movement

Few people, however, know the personal stories of the people who were the movement. Discover their stories, collected over many years of travel across the south.

Taste of Beadwork

Learn several common beadwork stitches including peyote, brick, square stitch and right angle weave.

Thai Cooking

Learn to cook delicious dishes from Thailand, "The Land of Smiles"

UFOs - Unknown Fabric Opportunities

Create beautiful and useful items from materials that would otherwise be thrown away.

Women in the Military

Explore the history of women in the military and how it has changed over time.

Yoga with AJ Blye

Unwind from the stresses of the day with some afternoon yoga!

A Latin American Approach to Harp Playing

Learn the techniques, patterns, rhythms and melodies of Latin American music. This will take your playing to a new level!

Acupressure and Self Care

Learn several methods of stimulating acupressure points for self-care as well as for the treatment of friends and family.

Beginning Bluegrass Mandolin Bill Monroe Style with Christopher Henry

Learn bluegrass mandolin by ear, in the oral tradition of Bill Monroe.

Beginning Blues Harmonica

You don't have to read music to learn to play the harmonica! Category: Wind & Free Reed

Bluegrass Fiddle II with Bronwyn Keith-Hynes

Join Bronwyn Keith-Hynes, Winfield Fiddle Champion and the IBMA’s Momentum Instrumentalist of the Year, in learning a variety of bluegrass styles.

Blues Uke

Join us as we venture beyond strumming into the mysterious world of turnarounds and blues scales on the ukulele. All levels welcome!

Common Ground on the Hill Veterans Initiative

The Common Ground on the Hill Veterans Initiative invites veterans and civilians to come together in a trusting and supportive environment. This is the workshop that changes lives!

Great Story Swap

Join us and tell a story, or just listen!

Introduction to Alternate Guitar Tunings with David Roth

Find fresh voicing to some of the standard chords you have been playing, and get on the road to arranging a song you already play in an alternate tuning.

Irish Fiddle with Shannon Quinn

Learn some great ol' Irish tunes with masterful Irish/Celtic/Nova Scotia fiddler Shannon Quinn!

Low Whistle with Steafan Hannigan

Steafan Hannigan will introduce you to the pleasures of the low whistle in Celtic music.

Mandolins on the Hill (MOTH) Capstone Project

Put together and record a piece of music of your choice - either solo or ensemble, to be presented at the conclusion of Traditions Weeks on social media!

Mountain Voices: Appalachian Songs and Stories

Sparky & Rhonda Ruckers share stories and songs from the convergence of Native American, West African and British Isles peoples in Southern Appalachia.

Music and Healing: Body, Mind and Soul

Most of us have experienced the healing power of music either as listeners, dancers, or players; yet there are ways in which music is much more powerful than we can even imagine. Learn about the science and share stories of healing.

Old-Time Banjo with Mark Schatz

Take a banjo class with two-time International Bluegrass Music Association’s Bass Player of the Year Mark Schatz, one of the preeminent banjo players of our time!

Survey of Arab Music and Percussion

All are welcome to discover the major traditions in Arab music.

The Voices of Baltimore Rising

Hear the stories of those who have been pulling Baltimore together in the wake of the Freddie Gray uprising.

Traditional Games

Learn the history of games and play some traditional games from around the world.

Turning Stories into Songs

Award-winning songwriter David Morris will help you incorporate stories into your songwriting process.

A Southeastern Native American Approach to Dreams

This class will combine teaching about dreams in Mvskoke/Creek culture with learning how to draw meaning from dreams for personal and collective growth.

Beginning Highland Bagpipe

This beginners class will introduce the rudiments of playing the Great Highland Bagpipe. Students will learn on a practice chanter. Category: Wind & Free Reed

Braided: Intricate Hair Designs

Learn the history and importance of braiding in different cultures, as well the basics of creating different types of braids.

Essential Bluegrass Listening

This class of active listening and discussion will trace the roots of the music through classic recordings from the 1930s to the present.

Home Music Video Production 101

Learn home video and audio recording techniques and navigate social media algorithms in order to share high-quality music with others.

Kumihimo Braiding

Learn to make the Japanese braid known as Kumihimo, useful for a necklace, bracelet, ID holder or more.

Professional Practices: The Business of Art

Learn the business side of being an artist.

Search for Common Ground

The flagship class of Traditions Weeks. In an atmosphere of trust and safety, and inspired by song and story, we will listen to and learn from the voices of our sisters and brothers from communities represented in our circle.

Virtual Mandolin Orchestra: Bartok Workshop

Available to mandolin and other string instruments during all three Traditions Weeks, class members will prepare and record Bartok's Romanian Folk Dances, to be presented at the Common Ground on the Hill Festival!

Wine Appreciation with David Morris

"Oaky," "developed," "bright" - what do these terms have to do with wine? Find out this and much more in this class with David Morris!

Gallery Talks

Gallery Talks: Monday through Friday at 6:30 PM Eastern Time ~ Artist talks on various art forms. FREE

Keynote: From Migrant to Local, a Journey back to Bolivia

Keynote Address: Monday, 8 PM Eastern Time. FREE Discover Bolivia through the eyes of AnaCe Velasquez.