Making Music at Home
While some are returning to in-person meetings and workshops, there still remains many online opportunities for playing and learning. This page lists individuals and organizations who offer some type of online instruction in a class format such as workshops, ensembles, master classes, etc.
For offerings from BCRS, check our Workshops page.
If you or someone you know is offering some type of online recorder instruction we would love to list it here. Please send it to us and we'll post it.
For offerings from BCRS, check our Workshops page.
If you or someone you know is offering some type of online recorder instruction we would love to list it here. Please send it to us and we'll post it.
For BCRS Workshops click here
Ongoing:
Webinar Wednesdays with Anne Timberlake - Live online seminars, various topics. Previous webinars are available. Ongoing. US$18 per session.
FREE American Recorder Society Online Recorder Class for Beginners - If you have never played recorder before, or if it has been ages since you have played, these courses are for you! Build a solid foundation for learning recorder through the American Recorder Society’s 4-part beginners’ courses. There is no cost to register for these classes and they are open to both ARS members and non-members. Ongoing.
American Recorder Society Second Level Recorder courses - These 4-session courses are designed for students who are relatively new to recorder, but are familiar with most fingerings on their instrument and can read music. Free for ARS members. Ongoing.
Emma Murphy Recorders - Subscribe to receive ten monthly online tutorials for alto recorder. Ongoing. Join any time. £50.
Seminar Series in Early Music Performance Practice
The Highland Park Recorder Society proudly announces its 2021-2022 early music seminar series. Led by Dr. Lewis R. Baratz, there will be 9 seminars throughout the season focusing on various topics and featuring guest artists. Third Monday of each month, October 2021 to June 2022.
Global Music Group Classes with Daphna Mor and guest percussionist Daniel Freeman
Lower intermediate/Intermediate: Mondays at 5pm ET
Higher intermediate/Advanced: Wednesdays at 5pm ET
Global Music for recorders and other melody instruments. These are ongoing and you can join anytime! We welcome returning and new students to drop in. Music from The Middle and Near East, Balkans, Jewish Diaspora, Medieval Europe, North Africa and more. Enjoy playing beautiful new melodies from different regions, while also learning new skills and knowledge of scales, meters, rhythm patterns, stylistic ornamentation and melody treatment. . . Fee: sliding scale recommended US$15-25 per class. Everyone welcome regardless of paying ability.
- March 9: Repeats and What to Do About Them!
- May 11: Double Tonguing Boot Camp
FREE American Recorder Society Online Recorder Class for Beginners - If you have never played recorder before, or if it has been ages since you have played, these courses are for you! Build a solid foundation for learning recorder through the American Recorder Society’s 4-part beginners’ courses. There is no cost to register for these classes and they are open to both ARS members and non-members. Ongoing.
American Recorder Society Second Level Recorder courses - These 4-session courses are designed for students who are relatively new to recorder, but are familiar with most fingerings on their instrument and can read music. Free for ARS members. Ongoing.
Emma Murphy Recorders - Subscribe to receive ten monthly online tutorials for alto recorder. Ongoing. Join any time. £50.
Seminar Series in Early Music Performance Practice
The Highland Park Recorder Society proudly announces its 2021-2022 early music seminar series. Led by Dr. Lewis R. Baratz, there will be 9 seminars throughout the season focusing on various topics and featuring guest artists. Third Monday of each month, October 2021 to June 2022.
Global Music Group Classes with Daphna Mor and guest percussionist Daniel Freeman
Lower intermediate/Intermediate: Mondays at 5pm ET
Higher intermediate/Advanced: Wednesdays at 5pm ET
Global Music for recorders and other melody instruments. These are ongoing and you can join anytime! We welcome returning and new students to drop in. Music from The Middle and Near East, Balkans, Jewish Diaspora, Medieval Europe, North Africa and more. Enjoy playing beautiful new melodies from different regions, while also learning new skills and knowledge of scales, meters, rhythm patterns, stylistic ornamentation and melody treatment. . . Fee: sliding scale recommended US$15-25 per class. Everyone welcome regardless of paying ability.
February:
Recorder Players West ~ $150 each
- Pre-Intermediate: Fridays 12:00pm - begins February 4
- Intermediate: Wednesdays 2:00pm OR Thursdays 7:00PM - beginning February 2 & February 3
- Advanced: Fridays 2:00pm - begins February 4
All times PT. Contact Susan Elslinger for additional information and to register
Several Classes with Inga Funck:
Register for any of the four following classes by emailing Inga Funck
Transition from Soprano to Alto
- Thursdays at 12:00pm - begins February 3
Are you a soprano recorder player who is secretly longing for the lower sound of the Alto? Have you thought about transitioning from Soprano to Alto but are really nervous about learning f-fingerings? If you are planning on playing with other musicians, sooner or later you will be asked to play recorders other than the soprano. This 10-week class introduces f-fingerings step-by-step in manageable increments. You will also refine your breathing, work on your tonguing and articulation, and strengthen your rhythmical skills. Not to mention all the fun you will have with the vast repertoire written for Alto!
Learn to Play with Unshakeable Rhythm
- Thursdays at 2:00pm - begins February 3
Rhythm is fundamental to your musicianship. If you are struggling with rhythms even just a little, taking the time to isolate rhythm as a practice will benefit you tremendously.
Learn to maintain a steady beat and to identify when you are off. Develop a keen sense for even the most complicated syncopated rhythms. After this 10-week class, your rhythm will be rock solid, despite being nervous about sight-reading a new complex piece or playing in front of an audience.
Learn to Play the Bass Recorder
- Thursdays at 4:00pm - begins February 3
Want to become an asset to any recorder ensemble by being able to play the bass recorder? Or perhaps you have just recently bought a bass recorder and want to become proficient at reading the bass clef? OR you fell in love with the lower sound of the bass instruments? Sign up for this class if this describes you.
Learn to Play Alto Up the Octave
- Wednesdays at 12:00pm - begins February 2
You know that the lowest note on the alto is an "F'. But then you encounter music in which the alto part goes way below that "F'. You are casually told: "Just read the alto line an octave up." Easier said than done! By the end of this 10-week class, you will easily make the octave transposition without blinking an eye or losing a beat.
Diving into Sea Shanties: Ornamenting Shanties in a Range of Early Music Styles with Sarah Jeffery
- February 13 from 10:00 to 11:30am PT
Recently sea shanties have been popularized across social media, and with good reason: these songs offer a wealth of musical material to work with. We will take a selection of shanties from different countries, and interpret them in different ways: in a traditional folk style (derived from Irish music), with Renaissance divisions, the French Baroque, and even a little Vivaldi! At the end of the class you will have lots of new music to play, and hopefully feel more confident in applying these techniques of ornamentation to other music too. Sheet music will be provided beforehand.
Geared to: Suitable for melody instruments, intermediate+ level. Pitch: A=440.
Puzzling Polyphony with Jennifer Carpenter
- February 20 1:00 to 2:30pm PT
Canons are constructed from a single theme and at times, an enigmatic set of rules. The hidden, mesmerizing logic of these pieces has fascinated performers for centuries. For many composers creating puzzle canons was part of their convivial social lives. Perhaps it was the musicians’ equivalent of passing notes back and forth during class! We’ll examine some creative puzzles and enjoy playing through their solutions. Experience a few of the masters of the canon from the Medieval through the Romantic eras. $10
Email Jennifer to register.
Two Practicing Workshops with Debby Greenblatt
- February 25 at 5:00pm PT
- February 26 at 12:30pm PT
Click here for more information and to register
Improvising over a Ground Bass and La Spagna with Shira Kammen
- February 26 from 1:00 to 2:30pm ET
Click here to register (please note that this link does not work with Safari. Try Chrome instead)
The Recorder Essentials - Posture, Use of Air, Articulation, Coordination with Lobke Sprenkeling
- February 27 from 1:00 to 2:30pm ET
Click here to register (please note that this link does not work with Safari. Try Chrome instead)
- Pre-Intermediate: Fridays 12:00pm - begins February 4
- Intermediate: Wednesdays 2:00pm OR Thursdays 7:00PM - beginning February 2 & February 3
- Advanced: Fridays 2:00pm - begins February 4
All times PT. Contact Susan Elslinger for additional information and to register
Several Classes with Inga Funck:
Register for any of the four following classes by emailing Inga Funck
Transition from Soprano to Alto
- Thursdays at 12:00pm - begins February 3
Are you a soprano recorder player who is secretly longing for the lower sound of the Alto? Have you thought about transitioning from Soprano to Alto but are really nervous about learning f-fingerings? If you are planning on playing with other musicians, sooner or later you will be asked to play recorders other than the soprano. This 10-week class introduces f-fingerings step-by-step in manageable increments. You will also refine your breathing, work on your tonguing and articulation, and strengthen your rhythmical skills. Not to mention all the fun you will have with the vast repertoire written for Alto!
Learn to Play with Unshakeable Rhythm
- Thursdays at 2:00pm - begins February 3
Rhythm is fundamental to your musicianship. If you are struggling with rhythms even just a little, taking the time to isolate rhythm as a practice will benefit you tremendously.
Learn to maintain a steady beat and to identify when you are off. Develop a keen sense for even the most complicated syncopated rhythms. After this 10-week class, your rhythm will be rock solid, despite being nervous about sight-reading a new complex piece or playing in front of an audience.
Learn to Play the Bass Recorder
- Thursdays at 4:00pm - begins February 3
Want to become an asset to any recorder ensemble by being able to play the bass recorder? Or perhaps you have just recently bought a bass recorder and want to become proficient at reading the bass clef? OR you fell in love with the lower sound of the bass instruments? Sign up for this class if this describes you.
Learn to Play Alto Up the Octave
- Wednesdays at 12:00pm - begins February 2
You know that the lowest note on the alto is an "F'. But then you encounter music in which the alto part goes way below that "F'. You are casually told: "Just read the alto line an octave up." Easier said than done! By the end of this 10-week class, you will easily make the octave transposition without blinking an eye or losing a beat.
Diving into Sea Shanties: Ornamenting Shanties in a Range of Early Music Styles with Sarah Jeffery
- February 13 from 10:00 to 11:30am PT
Recently sea shanties have been popularized across social media, and with good reason: these songs offer a wealth of musical material to work with. We will take a selection of shanties from different countries, and interpret them in different ways: in a traditional folk style (derived from Irish music), with Renaissance divisions, the French Baroque, and even a little Vivaldi! At the end of the class you will have lots of new music to play, and hopefully feel more confident in applying these techniques of ornamentation to other music too. Sheet music will be provided beforehand.
Geared to: Suitable for melody instruments, intermediate+ level. Pitch: A=440.
Puzzling Polyphony with Jennifer Carpenter
- February 20 1:00 to 2:30pm PT
Canons are constructed from a single theme and at times, an enigmatic set of rules. The hidden, mesmerizing logic of these pieces has fascinated performers for centuries. For many composers creating puzzle canons was part of their convivial social lives. Perhaps it was the musicians’ equivalent of passing notes back and forth during class! We’ll examine some creative puzzles and enjoy playing through their solutions. Experience a few of the masters of the canon from the Medieval through the Romantic eras. $10
Email Jennifer to register.
Two Practicing Workshops with Debby Greenblatt
- February 25 at 5:00pm PT
- February 26 at 12:30pm PT
Click here for more information and to register
Improvising over a Ground Bass and La Spagna with Shira Kammen
- February 26 from 1:00 to 2:30pm ET
Click here to register (please note that this link does not work with Safari. Try Chrome instead)
The Recorder Essentials - Posture, Use of Air, Articulation, Coordination with Lobke Sprenkeling
- February 27 from 1:00 to 2:30pm ET
Click here to register (please note that this link does not work with Safari. Try Chrome instead)
March:
Recorder Therapy
- Tuesday evenings from March 1 to April 5, 3:00 to 4:00pm PT
This is a hybrid roundtable discussion class and playing class for emerging and intermediate players. Participants can freely ask questions as Jody guides you through conquering recorder-specific techniques.
Six-week session is $90 (with an option to pay for and attend individual classes).
For more information and to register, click here.
FREE ARS Beginners' Course for Alto Recorder with Jody Miller (four classes available)
- Tuesday, March 1, 7:30 PM EST (4:30 PM PST)
- Thursday, March 3, 7:30 PM EST
- Tuesday, March 8, 7:30 PM EST
- Thursday, March 10, 7:30 PM EST
If you have never played recorder before, or if it has been eons ago since you have played, this is the course for you! Build a solid foundation for learning recorder through the American Recorder Society’s 4-part beginners’ course for alto recorder starting on March 1, 2022. Professional recorder teacher and performer Jody Miller will lead you through this course and help you build good recorder technique from the start.
Click here to register.
FREE ARS Beginners' Course: Learn to Read Music (Alto Recorder) with Larry Zukhof
- March 20 to April 10, 5:00pm PT
ARS introduces a Free Online Beginners’ Reading Music Course geared primarily for non-music readers or people who are rusty, having had only a skirting exposure to rudimentary music reading skills. Professional recorder player and teacher Lawrence (Larry) Zukof will lead you through this four session course and help you learn the fundamentals of reading music using a variety of simple tunes and rhythms and demystify how pitch and rhythm are translated into music symbols. While the focus will be on the basics of note reading and rhythms, the course will also include tips on producing a beautiful sound from the start.
Ensembles for Emerging Players
- Wednesdays from March 2 to April 6, 4:30 to 5:30pm PT
This 6-week series will cover various style periods from Medieval through contemporary, but Renaissance music will be the bulk of the repertoire. Expect duets, trios, quartets, and quintets that will expose you to some amazing tunes. Six-week session is $90 (with an option to pay for and attend individual classes).
For more information and to register, click here.
Alto Recorder, Step 2
- Tuesday evenings from March 15 to April 5, 4:30 to 5:30pm PT
Whether you have just begun learning alto or you are dusting off an instrument to put it back into use, this class is here to help you make progress toward playing the vast amount of repertoire available for alto, the main size of recorder used during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Four-week session is $60.
For more information and to register, click here.
Soprano Recorder, Step 2
- Wednesday evening from March 2 to March 16, 3:00 to 4:00pm PT
If you've just gotten started with soprano or tenor recorder, but need some guidance (most of us do!), this group class will take you through the process of adding your right hand, learning more advanced rhythms, improving tone and articulation, and more! Four-week session is $60.
For more information and to register, click here.
Irish Fiddle Tunes Workshop for folks who play soprano and alto
- March 12, 11:30am to 12:30pm PT
- March 15, 4:00pm to 5:00pm PT
During these workshops we will play and discuss tunes from the Greenblatt & Seay publication, “Irish Fiddle Tunes for Two”. Different tunes will be played at each session. A treble clef version of the sheet music for the tunes being played will be displayed on Zoom's screen during the workshop.
The cost for each workshop is $10. The cost of each optional book is $15 (includes shipping if ordered with workshop registration).
Click here to register.
Repeats...and What to Do About Them! with Anne Timberlake
- March 9 at 5:00pm PT
Here they come….the dreaded double dots. Should you repeat? Charge ahead? Split the difference? If you do go back, what are your obligations? It’s all about the repeat in this month’s live Zoom webinar. We’ll talk about whether, why, when, and how to repeat, so you can do so with confidence and panache.
Click here to register.
- Tuesday evenings from March 1 to April 5, 3:00 to 4:00pm PT
This is a hybrid roundtable discussion class and playing class for emerging and intermediate players. Participants can freely ask questions as Jody guides you through conquering recorder-specific techniques.
Six-week session is $90 (with an option to pay for and attend individual classes).
For more information and to register, click here.
FREE ARS Beginners' Course for Alto Recorder with Jody Miller (four classes available)
- Tuesday, March 1, 7:30 PM EST (4:30 PM PST)
- Thursday, March 3, 7:30 PM EST
- Tuesday, March 8, 7:30 PM EST
- Thursday, March 10, 7:30 PM EST
If you have never played recorder before, or if it has been eons ago since you have played, this is the course for you! Build a solid foundation for learning recorder through the American Recorder Society’s 4-part beginners’ course for alto recorder starting on March 1, 2022. Professional recorder teacher and performer Jody Miller will lead you through this course and help you build good recorder technique from the start.
Click here to register.
FREE ARS Beginners' Course: Learn to Read Music (Alto Recorder) with Larry Zukhof
- March 20 to April 10, 5:00pm PT
ARS introduces a Free Online Beginners’ Reading Music Course geared primarily for non-music readers or people who are rusty, having had only a skirting exposure to rudimentary music reading skills. Professional recorder player and teacher Lawrence (Larry) Zukof will lead you through this four session course and help you learn the fundamentals of reading music using a variety of simple tunes and rhythms and demystify how pitch and rhythm are translated into music symbols. While the focus will be on the basics of note reading and rhythms, the course will also include tips on producing a beautiful sound from the start.
Ensembles for Emerging Players
- Wednesdays from March 2 to April 6, 4:30 to 5:30pm PT
This 6-week series will cover various style periods from Medieval through contemporary, but Renaissance music will be the bulk of the repertoire. Expect duets, trios, quartets, and quintets that will expose you to some amazing tunes. Six-week session is $90 (with an option to pay for and attend individual classes).
For more information and to register, click here.
Alto Recorder, Step 2
- Tuesday evenings from March 15 to April 5, 4:30 to 5:30pm PT
Whether you have just begun learning alto or you are dusting off an instrument to put it back into use, this class is here to help you make progress toward playing the vast amount of repertoire available for alto, the main size of recorder used during the Renaissance and Baroque periods. Four-week session is $60.
For more information and to register, click here.
Soprano Recorder, Step 2
- Wednesday evening from March 2 to March 16, 3:00 to 4:00pm PT
If you've just gotten started with soprano or tenor recorder, but need some guidance (most of us do!), this group class will take you through the process of adding your right hand, learning more advanced rhythms, improving tone and articulation, and more! Four-week session is $60.
For more information and to register, click here.
Irish Fiddle Tunes Workshop for folks who play soprano and alto
- March 12, 11:30am to 12:30pm PT
- March 15, 4:00pm to 5:00pm PT
During these workshops we will play and discuss tunes from the Greenblatt & Seay publication, “Irish Fiddle Tunes for Two”. Different tunes will be played at each session. A treble clef version of the sheet music for the tunes being played will be displayed on Zoom's screen during the workshop.
The cost for each workshop is $10. The cost of each optional book is $15 (includes shipping if ordered with workshop registration).
Click here to register.
Repeats...and What to Do About Them! with Anne Timberlake
- March 9 at 5:00pm PT
Here they come….the dreaded double dots. Should you repeat? Charge ahead? Split the difference? If you do go back, what are your obligations? It’s all about the repeat in this month’s live Zoom webinar. We’ll talk about whether, why, when, and how to repeat, so you can do so with confidence and panache.
Click here to register.