Specialty Workshops

This workshop is open to students of any instrument.

Come learn about the fascinating music of Brazil, its unique influences, and notable composers, such as Antonio Carlos Jobim and Ana Carolina. 

Class Details:

• Ages: 10+

• Materials: No materials needed

• Class Capacity: Up to 10 students may attend.

• Instructor:  Von Bringhurst

This workshop is open to percussion students only. 

Learn how to play the Afro Cuban "Cha-Cha" on the Timbales and Congas. Students will also learn how to play the original composition of "Oye Como Va" by the king of the timbales, "Tito Puente".

Class Details:

• Ages: 8+

• Materials: All materials provided.

• Class Capacity: Up to 7 students may attend. 

• Important Details: This workshop is for percussion students only.

• Instructor:  Carmen Cansino

This workshop is open to voice students only.

We will be looking at and listening to some examples of music that was designed with a sense of humor by the composers.  Compositions from Haydn, Bach, Mozart, Britten, Beethoven and others will be presented with an opportunity to also sing a few of the easier songs.  If you thought all classical music was serious, come join in a lighthearted presentation of music and share a fun hour. 

Class Details:

• Ages: 12+

• Materials: Students must bring pencils and notebooks

• Class Capacity: Up to 10 students may attend. 

• Important Details: This workshop is for voice students only.

• Instructor:  Kaye DeVries

This workshop is open to students of any instrument.

This workshop will provide an introduction to what sound healing is, including a brief history, its benefits, and the instruments used. The instructor will bring a selection of instruments commonly used in sound healing and provide a short demo with an opportunity for students to try some of these instruments.

Class Details:

• Ages: 13+

• Materials: No materials needed

• Class Capacity: Up to 15 students may attend

• Important Details: Open to students of any instrument

• Instructor:  Gabriella Castro

This workshop is open to students of any instrument.

Learning a different language takes time, but learning to sing in a new language takes only one class. Let's meet where you can explore the joy of music around the world, and sing songs from Japan, Serbia, and Germany.

Class Details:

• Ages: 8-17

• Materials: No materials needed

• Class Capacity: Up to 10 students may attend. 

• Instructor:  Marija Gosic

This workshop is open to students of any instrument.

Embark on a Lute Adventure with us! Explore the lute, the guitar's ancestor, and its history. Listen to diverse examples of lute music from different regions and enjoy historical melodies from around the world. Join us for an engaging musical journey!

Class Details:

• Ages: 8+

• Materials: Students must bring pencils and a notebook.

• Class Capacity: Up to 10 students may attend. 

• Important Details: Open to students of any instrument

• Instructor:  Alan Serrano

This workshop is open to piano students only.

Students will be introduced to the Malay culture and the Malay language and music. Come look deeper into the meaning behind the songs.

Class Details:

• Ages: 8+

• Materials: Students must bring pencils and notebooks.

• Class Capacity: Up to 5 students may attend. 

• Important Details: This workshop is for piano students only.

• Instructor:  June Low

This workshop is open to students of any instrument.

Students will learn a little about the folk music of Ireland, Scotland and England and then play a couple of jigs and reels all together! All instruments and ability levels will be accommodated. 

Class Details:

• Ages: 8+

• Materials: Students must bring their instruments.

• Class Capacity: Up to 10 students may attend. 

• Important Details: Open to students of any instrument

• Instructor:  James Crocker

This workshop is for private students in the studio of Alan Serrano only.

Designed for private students in the Studio of Alan Serrano, this session is all about adding that extra sparkle to your performance. Students will learn how to improve their stage presence, preparation, and practical tips for their next recital. Be sure to bring your instrument!

Class Details:

• Ages: All ages (4+)

• Materials: Students must bring instruments, pencils, and notebooks.

• Class Capacity: Up to 10 students may attend. 

• Important Details: This workshop is only open to students in the Studio of Alan Serrano. This workshop is for guitar and ukulele only.

• Instructor:  Alan Serrano

This workshop is open to piano students only.

Play your best piano piece that you are working on and get feedback from a concert pianist. Receive help on performances for any auditions, rectials, or exams.

Class Details:

• Ages: 8+

• Materials: Students must bring sheet music

• Class Capacity: Up to 10 students may attend. 

• Important Details: This workshop is for piano students only.

• Instructor:  Temirzhan Yerzhanov

This workshop is open to piano students only.

This workshop helps students prepare for recitals, exams, and more. Receive helpful tips and feedback from instructor Jin-Hee Kim.

Class Details:

• Ages: 4+

• Materials: Students must bring sheet music.

• Class Capacity: Up to 10 students may attend. 

• Important Details: This workshop is for piano students only.

• Instructor:  Jin-Hee Kim

This workshop is open to piano students only.

This is a recital and performance prep workshop for students in their 1st-2nd year of piano study. Get tips and advice about your first few performances and recitals.

Class Details:

• Ages:  All ages (4+)

• Materials: Students must bring a pencil, notebook, and current sheet music.

• Class Capacity: Up to 6 students may attend. 

• Important Details: This workshop is for piano students only.

• Instructor:  Ai Noguchi

This workshop is for voice students only. 

This workshop helps students prepare for voice recitals, exams, and more. Receive helpful tips and feedback from instructor Jin-Hee Kim.

Class Details:

• Ages: 4+

• Materials: Students must bring sheet music.

• Class Capacity: Up to 7 students may attend. 

• Important Details: This workshop is for voice students only.

• Instructor: Jin-Hee Kim

This workshop is for cello students only.

This workshop is for any cello student at CSMA who wishes to play Suzuki Books 1 and 2 repertoire with other students in a group setting. Scales and technique may also be rehearsed. Open to any CSMA cello students who have learned any amount of Suzuki Cello School Books 1 and 2. Less experienced students are encouraged to participate by playing the pieces they know and observing after their last piece has been completed by the group. The goal will be to get as far through the repertoire as possible.

Class Details:

• Ages: All ages (4+)

• Materials: Students must bring their instruments and a pencil

• Class Capacity: Up to 15 students may attend. 

• Important Details: This workshop is for cello students only.

• Instructor: Oshagan Merjanian

This workshop is open to students of any instrument.

We will examine piano works by Bach such as Inventions, Preludes, and Fugues in a collaborative setting with each student singing or playing one of the voices to enhance our polyphonic thinking and listening. By performing one voice within a group, we will learn to identify recurring themes, unify articulation, and listen to the importance of dissonance.

Class Details:

• Ages: 8+

• Materials: N/A

• Class Capacity: Up to 15 students may attend. 

• Important Details: Sheet music reading skills should be good enough to read one voice of a Bach Invention.

• Instructor: Axel Schmitt

This workshop is for flute students only. 

Come and learn how to beatbox on the flute! Beatbox is technique of the flute, involving the production of different sounds, singing and turns flute into a rhythmic instrument. 

Class Details:

• Ages: All ages (4+) 

• Materials: Students must bring instruments.

• Class Capacity: Up to 8 students may attend.

• Important Details: This workshop is for flute students only.

• Instructor: Sonja Vasic

This workshop is open to students of any instrument.

Please join us to step into the fascinating realm of classical music! In this workshop, we'll dive into timeless tunes, uncover the stories and trivia behind famous pieces, and let your love for classical melodies grow stronger!

Class Details:

• Ages: 13+

• Materials: Students must bring pencils and notebooks.

• Class Capacity: Up to 10 students may attend.

• Important Details:  Open to students of any instrument.

• Instructor: Menghua Lin

This workshop is open to students of any instrument.

Sharing useful tips and tricks to help parents and students with practice at home. Learn from an experienced teacher what works best and what to avoid, what to expect at different ages, how to positively encourage young children to practice at home,  develop daily practice habits, and keep young children interested in piano. The instructor will be demonstrating home practice situations through a role play involving young students and parents.

Class Details:

• Ages: 4-12

• Materials: Students must bring their parent/guardian, and current music pieces

• Class Capacity: Up to 15 students may attend.

• Important Details: Open to students of any instrument.

• Instructor: Klara Frei

This workshop is open to students of any instrument.

How to use creative thinking and artistic imagination to help learn your music pieces and make the pieces sound more colorful and expressive. We will explore what is behind those notes and passages, legatos, staccatos, dynamic changes, articulation, and tempo signs in an interactive style.

Class Details:

• Ages: All ages (4+)

• Materials: Students must bring instruments and sheet music

• Class Capacity: Up to 15 students may attend.

• Important Details:  Open to students of any instrument.

• Instructor: Klara Frei

This workshop is open to students of any instrument.

This workshop will focus on the coaching of jazz solos & jazz ensembles on repertoire, and soloing. Receive helpful tips and tricks for performing jazz from instructor Gregory Mason.

Class Details:

• Ages:  8+

• Materials: Students must bring their instrument, a pencil, notebook, music and lead sheets

• Class Capacity: Up to 10 students may attend.

• Important Details: Open to students of any instrument.

• Instructor: Gregory Mason

This workshop is for guitar, bass, and ukulele students only.

Do you have old or dirty strings on your guitar, bass, or ukulele? Freshen up your instrument by learning how to change your strings yourself! Students will learn how to change their strings step by step. Bring your instrument, a new set of strings, and a string winder for this workshop.

Class Details:

• Ages: 8+

• Materials: Students must bring instruments and new strings for their instrument

• Class Capacity: Up to 8 students may attend. 

• Important Details: This workshop is for guitar, bass guitar, and ukulele students only.

• Instructor: Alan Serrano

This workshop is open to students of any instrument.

Dive into the diverse world of guitars with Alan Serrano! Discover the classical guitar's elegant melodies, the electric guitar's powerful riffs, and the acoustic guitar's shimmering strums. Join us for a fun and informative session where you can learn about different types of guitars most commonly found today. We will explore the unique sounds they create and learn about the parts of each guitar.

Class Details:

• Ages: 8 -17

• Materials: Students must bring pencils and notebooks.

• Class Capacity: Up to 15 students may attend. 

• Important Details: Open to students of any instrument.

• Instructor: Alan Serrano

This workshop is for voice students only.

Prepare a song of your choice, preferably in foreign language if singing, possibly in your native language, to perform. Afterwards, we will try to guess what is it about. Conduct research about your musical selection to find interesting facts about composer, lyricist, and process of creation. Be prepared to share this story with your peers. If singing in foreign language, make sure to find word to word translation (not English lyrics) of the song.

Class Details:

• Ages: All ages (4+)

• Materials: Students must bring sheet music, and MP3 recording

• Class Capacity: Up to 10 students may attend.

• Important Details: This workshop is for voice students only.

• Instructor: Olga Moudry

This workshop is for flute students only. 

Play music arranged for 3-4 flutes from G.F. Handel's "Water Music Suite" and film music from "Harry Potter." Parts may be doubled and the lower parts are suitable for less advanced students. Have fun playing in an ensemble!

Class Details:

• Ages: 8-17

• Materials: Students must bring instruments and pencils.

• Class Capacity: Up to 12 students may attend. 

• Important Details: This workshop is for flute students only.

• Instructor: Kathe Kuehl

This workshop is open to piano students only.

This workshop helps with preparation for RCM Exam for repertoire segment. This workshop is specifically for piano RCM exams.

Class Details:

• Ages: 8-17

• Materials: Students must bring their RCM Repertoire level book that is in practice or ready to perform.

• Class Capacity: Up to 10 students may attend. 

• Important Details: This workshop is for piano students only.

• Instructor: Muza Mdzinarishvili