Do you love acting or want to learn how to act? Explore how to hone your body and voice as instruments for the stage or screen. Acting exercises drawing on a variety of methods will stretch your imagination and help you discover new ways to create and develop a character. Build confidence through scene study and short performances in a supportive, welcoming environment. The class also touches on audition preparation and the business of pursuing an acting career. All levels welcome.

Improve your banjo-playing skills in the old-time clawhammer style. If you can already play at least a handful of tunes, dive deeper into G, G modal, and double C tunings. We’ll continue refining right-hand technique to help you get the best possible sound. Note: Students must bring their own banjo. Please note: There will be no class on April 29

Discover your singing voice in a fun group setting by learning the basics of healthy vocal technique. Get the tools and strategies you need to understand how your instrument works and how to use it properly for a lifetime of healthy singing. Learn how to warm up your voice, match pitch, manage your breath, and maintain a consistent vocal tone. We’ll practice a variety of songs in contemporary styles and leave time for personal attention. Our instructor believes that everyone can sing—even you.

Improve your guitar skills in a fun and supportive group environment. Advanced Beginning: For those who have had a few lessons and can play a handful of chords but need help with switching faster. We will work up to playing in all of the keys usually played on guitar and will try to tackle the dreaded F chord. We’ll also work on playing together as a group. Continuing: For anyone who has been playing guitar for a while, continue learning and playing. We will focus on developing stronger musical skills through playing individually and with the group. Please note: Students must bring their own guitar.

Learn to play your favorite tunes and blues riffs on this simple, take-anywhere instrument. Beginning: Cover basic skills, including positioning the harmonica properly in your mouth, hand techniques, breath control, and fundamental chords. Bring a C diatonic harmonica (not chromatic). Continuing: Learn draw bends, blow bends, tongue block, and pursing methods to move more fluidly around your instrument. We will work toward building solos that reflect your style and play octaves, chords, and warbles, among other in-depth techniques.

Discover the joy of improv in this welcoming beginner class where there are no mistakes—only unexpected gifts. Through playful exercises and supportive group work, learn to feel as relaxed and natural on stage as you do in everyday conversation. Build confidence, creativity, and connection while laughing your way through the most fun forms of group storytelling.

Expand your toolkit for creating memorable characters through point of view, status, physical choices, and emotional commitment. We’ll also introduce techniques for playing in dynamic multi-person scenes, editing with confidence, and connecting scenes together so your improv can flow in both short form and long form with ease. Designed for students who have completed a beginning improv comedy class at ACE or elsewhere.

Please note the dates and location are different from print catalog. Step into a space where creativity meets courage. Each session will blend personal storytelling with playful improv—from song and movement to theater and writing—inviting you to experiment, connect, and discover new sides of yourself. All experience levels are welcome in this warm, supportive atmosphere where you can take risks, express yourself freely, and savor the thrill of spontaneous creation.

Explore the guitar fretboard like never before by focusing on musical intervals—the building blocks of chords, scales, and arpeggios. Learn to navigate the neck fluently, create any chord in any key, and begin playing solos with intention and purpose. Using intervallic maps and practical music theory, you’ll gain a deeper, genre-independent understanding of the guitar and expand your creative possibilities. Ideal for guitarists comfortable with open and barre chords who want to elevate their skills and start playing confidently.

If you’ve ever wanted to sing but felt anxious or insecure, this joyful one-night workshop will help you free your voice and let go of fear. In a warm, welcoming setting, explore simple vocal techniques, breathing strategies, and the basics of singing in tune. Through group singing and improvisation, discover how to let your voice flow with ease and confidence while reconnecting with the natural joy of making music. No experience is needed, and there’s no pressure to be perfect.

Unlock your creativity in this immersive course for musicians of all levels. Build musical fluency and naturally integrate music theory as you explore melodies, chords, riffs, and lyrics as seeds for original songs. Develop your musical storytelling through authentic lyric writing, narrative structure, and hook creation, while learning strategies to overcome creative blocks. Refine, rehearse, and gain stage confidence as you prepare to perform your finished song live. An optional outing to a local open mic provides a supportive space to share your music and celebrate with fellow songwriters. The instructor's approach was innovative and helped me think in new ways about songwriting. –Fall 2025 student

Get in touch with your country roots. Country music and the closely related genre “roots” not only express the hardships of modern life but also purposefully evoke emotion. From its birth amid the rapid changes in American culture in the early years of the 20th century, country music has continually appealed to people from various backgrounds who feel left behind by a rapidly changing world. We’ll survey the history of the genre and touch on well-known artists including Hank Williams, Dolly Parton, and Willie Nelson. No matter where you are in life, there’s a country song and story for you.

Uncover the sounds and stories that shaped five decades of music. From early pioneers like Chuck Berry and Elvis Presley to major cultural moments like the British Invasion of the 1960s and the rise of 1970s singer-songwriters, culminating in the Michael Jackson and MTV era of the 1980s, we’ll trace the evolution of rock ’n’ roll from its roots in 1950s rhythm and blues through the turn of the millennium. We’ll explore the genre’s influence on social norms, political movements, and the music industry itself. Discover the iconic figures and unsung heroes behind the music and the cultural forces that made rock a revolution.

The ukulele is easy to learn, fun to play, and perfect for making music in no time—whether you’re picking it up for the first time or building on your skills. Beginning: Learn how to tune and hold your ukulele, then move on to simple chords so you can begin playing songs you love right away. For absolute beginners only. Continuing: Expand your chord vocabulary, improve rhythm and strumming, and try fingerstyle with tab for riffs and melodies. For those already comfortable with basic chords and strumming. Please note: Bring your own ukulele. A clip-on tuner is recommended but not required.

Explore djembe, a goblet-shaped drum played with bare hands, in a relaxed and fun atmosphere. Learn techniques to make basic drum sounds—bass, tone, and slap—to create rhythms integral to West African culture. All levels are welcome.