Acclaimed Artist Dar Williams To Teach Songwriting As Part Of Passim School Of Music Fall Semester

The Passim School of Music announced the schedule for the Fall Semester which will include a special masterclass taught by legendary folk singer-songwriter Dar Williams. The School of Music will also offer an introductory class on mixing a live show, an examination of the guitar style of James Taylor, and much more. A complete list of courses can be found passim.org/school-of-music.

Dar Williams will personally lead the Passim School of Music's "How to Write a Song that Matters." Based on her new book by the same name, Williams will offer insights gleaned from ten years of retreat leading; she will also deconstruct one of her songs. Williams will pull names out of a hat for songs that students are working on. She will then hear five or six songs and provide feedback then talk about how to keep inspiring others through art. This masterclass will be held Friday, Sept 30, 2022 from 2:00PM - 5:00PM at Club Passim.

The School of Music is also offering hands-on experience running sound at Club Passim! This workshop will give students the opportunity to soundcheck a band and learn about the equipment necessary to mix a live show. Topics covered will include setting up a PA, a tour of the soundboard, names and uses of common sound equipment, mic selection, and how to manage a soundcheck as the engineer. The course will be taught by Passim's Club Manager Abby Altman. This workshop runs from 12pm-3pm on Saturday, October 1, 2022 at Club Passim.

Guitarist, banjoist and composer Ira Klein will teach the Guitar Style of James Taylor. The weekly class will focus on breaking down James Taylor's rich guitar accompaniment style. Through the process of song learning, students will be exposed to a variety of essential fingerpicking techniques and significantly expand their chordal vocabulary. The class runs from 8pm-9:15pm Monday nights from September 12 - October 24. There will be no class on October 10.

Other classes include Beginning Mandolin, Beginner 3-Finger Banjo, Old Time Ensemble, Beginning Cello, Diving into Ukulele, Bluegrass Guitar and more. A complete list of classes can be found at passim.org/school-of-music.

Founded in 2000, the Passim School of Music offers classes, master classes, workshops, and private lessons to adults in an engaging and informal setting. The new online classes will offer students the opportunity to play in a Bluegrass or Old Time Ensemble, take private voice lessons, learn a new instrument, or begin to learn about songwriting from the comfort of their living room. All classes are taught by professional musicians including Lloyd Thayer, Lindsay Straw, Liv Greene and many others.

The mission of Passim is to provide truly exceptional and interactive live musical experiences for both performers and audiences, to nurture artists at all stages of their career, and to build a vibrant music community. Passim does so through their legendary listening venue, music school, artist grants and outreach programs. As a nonprofit since 1994, Passim carries on the heritage of our predecessors-the historic Club 47 (1958-1968) and for-profit Passim (1969-1994). We cultivate a diverse mix of musical traditions, where the emphasis is on the relationship between performers and audience and teachers and students. Located in Harvard Square, Passim serves Cambridge and the broader region by featuring local, national and International Artists. Our ultimate goal is to help the performance arts flourish and thereby enrich the lives of members of our community. For a complete schedule, visit www.passim.org.

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