Boulevard Music : 4316 Sepulveda Blvd.,Culver City,CA 90230 Tel. (310) 398-2583
Authorized Dealer for Martin | Taylor | Gibson (Banjos and Mandolins) | Fender | Ibanez | National | Roland | Takamine | Eastman | Big Muddy (formerly Mid Missouri Mandolins) | Ramirez | Vasquez
Classes & Workshops

Each class offered is 8 weeks in length and costs $90-$125. The 1 to 2 hour classes are held once a week. The payment for a class is due in full before the second meeting of a series. Workshops are payable at the 1st meeting. Reservations and pre-enrollment are encouraged as class size is limited.

BEGINNING CLASSES

BEGINNING GUITAR

Learn to play some great classic tunes (folk, country, pop, and rock) while learning accompaniment ideas including rhythms, fingerpicking, transposing (changing the key of a song to better suit your voice, if so desired), note reading, plus some of the fundamentals of music. Learn how to put all of these ideas together to help you make your own arrangement of a song using standard sheet music. Designed for people who are total beginners, and those who have played a little or who want more knowledge concerning accompaniment ideas. Eight two hour classes at a price that can't be beat.

  • Monday, April 15, 8-10pm (8 classes) - Gary Mandell - $90

YOUNG PERSON'S GUITAR

A scaled down version of the adult class including some of those current songs they can't wait to play. Rhythm accompaniment ideas are explored. Individual work with note reading is included to insure a good foundation for the future. Fine 1/2 to full size acoustic guitars (Electrics also) available for sale or to rent. For ages 9-14 years old.

  • Wednesday, April 17, 4-5pm (8 classes) - Gary Mandell - $90

BEGINNING HARMONICA

Turn a simple harmonica into an exciting blues & country instrument. Learn playing techniques for single notes, clean tone and intonation, bending notes, vibrato, rhythms, chording effects, and scale formations. Blues progressions, fiddle tunes, plus a new song each week! Taught by the man who recorded with Paul McCartney and Michael Jackson. Bring a key of C (we've got them if you need them) 10 hole harmonica.

  • Tuesday, April 16, 8-9pm (8 classes) - Chris Smith - $125

BEGINNING SINGING

This weekly class will help you extend your vocal range as well as strengthen your voice in general. Learn breathing techniques as well as vocal exercises to improve your vocal stamina and performance ability. Led by a woman with strong performance credentials who studied with one of the masters of vocal technique.

  • Tuesday, April 16, 7-8pm (8 classes) - Sharyn Scott - $120

BEGINNING UKE

See workshops below.                                  

                              INTERMEDIATE CLASSES


BEGINNING GUITAR PART II

Designed for people fresh out of Beginning Guitar or those who want to brush up and improve their playing, and expand their repertoire. Learn fun songs in an assortment of styles, new chords, simple theory, and rhythm and fingerpicking ideas. Flatpicking melodies and an intro to fingerstyle blues is included. Developed with over 35 years of teaching experience by a seasoned arranger and guitarist. Great for songwriters and players.

  • Thursday, April 18, 7-8:30pm (8 classes) - Gary Mandell - $100

BERNIE'S ACOUSTIC BLUES JAM CLASS

How to jam the blues as taught by the guru of blues in LA County. Improve your skills on how and what to play with people in small acoustic ensembles. Learn more about backup techniques and rhythms and lead playing ideas. Get practice playing with human beings instead of a computer or tape machine. Open to guitar, harmonica, and bass or ask. An eight week course that's fun and just what the doctor ordered.

  • Wednesday, April 17, 7-8pm (8 Classes) - Bernie Pearl - $100

BERNIE'S ELECTRIC BLUES JAM CLASS

Bernie Pearl leads an amplified blues jam, open to all instruments. Bernie has played with an array of blues greats, including Big Mama Thornton, Freddie King, Papa John Creach, Lowell Fulson, Big Joe Turner, Otis Rush, B.B. King, and more. He'll share tips and insights on playing ensemble amplified blues gleaned over his 50 years in the blues world. Small amplifiers that only go to 10 please. Eight one hour long class sessions. Class size limited to 10. Such a deal.

  • Wednesday, April 17, 8-9pm (8 Classes) - Bernie Pearl - $100

 
WORKSHOPS

 
RICHARD SMITH FINGERSTYLE GUITAR WORKSHOP

Techniques and tips from one of the finest Chet Atkins/Jerry Reed fingerstyle guitarists on the planet. A National fingerstyle champion in fact. A master of Travis Picking, ragtime, and flatpicking. Chord progressions, finger rolls, harmonics, and building an arrangement are a few of the topics covered. Richard will slow down from warp speed and take you step by step through some of the great riffs and licks he’s learned over the years. Participants are welcome to bring their guitars, recorders, or just listen.

  • Saturday, April 13, 3-5pm  - Richard Smith - $35

WESTERN SWING GUITAR WORKSHOP

In this workshop we will learn the great sounds that were created by the pioneering Bob Wills and The Texas Playboys and the contemporary groups Asleep At The Wheel with Ray Benson and The Time Jumpers featuring Vince Gill. Merle Haggard and Willie Nelson are both great fans and practitioners of Western Swing having recorded with the original Playboys and Asleep At The Wheel respectively. This classic mix of swing, blues and country music is highly influenced by the music of swing music greats Django Reinhardt and Charlie Christian. Stan has written books on both these great guitarists. Materials will be presented in both tab and standard notation.

  • Saturday, April 27, 3-5pm  - Stan Ayeroff - $35

UKULELE FOR BEGINNERS

A four-week workshop that starts at the very beginning! How to hold your uke, tuning, chords, strums, songs, how to create a "groove" and more. No previous musical experience necessary. You will be playing your ukulele and singing along the first day. This class is about making music and having fun in a warm and supportive atmosphere.

  • Saturday, May 4, 11am-12pm (4 meeetings) - Cali Rose - $80

DJANGO REINHARDT HONEYSUCKLE ROSE GUITAR WORKSHOP

In this new workshop Stan, the expert on Gypsy Jazz, breaks down the classic Fats Waller song "Honeysuckle Rose."  This solo has wild arpeggios, whole-tone scale licks, chromatic Djangoisms and many other cool elements of Django’s style. You will learn many licks, tricks and techniques of “Gypsy Jazz.” Elements include going over the rhythm guitar part, the melody and Django’s solo.You will receive the transcribed solo in standard notation and tab. Chord charts and some of Django’s favorite licks will also be included.

  • Saturday, May 4, 1:30-3:30pm  - Stan Ayeroff - $35

THE BLACK KEYS GUITAR WORKSHOP

A four-week workshop for all levels (from 9 years on up) covering such Black Keys' hits such as "Gold on the Celing, "Lonely Boy" and more. You'll have fun learning the chords and strum patterns that make their songs some of the most popular in the world. You'll be playing their songs the first day in this easy and fun workshop.

  • Sunday, May 5, 1:30-2-30pm (4 Meetings) - Ted Owens - $80

RICK RUSKIN FINGERSTYLE GUITAR

Techniques, tips, and tunes from one of the finest fingerstyle/rhythm/blues players around. A master of  swing & ragtime guitar. He learned from the legend, Reverend Gary Davis. His books/videos on these subjects are among the best out there. Participants are welcome to bring their guitars as well as recorders.

  • Saturday, May 11, 4-6pm  - Rick Ruskin - $35

ABE LAGRIMAS UKE WORKSHOP

Jazz ukulele extraordinaire Abe Lagrimas, Jr. will conduct a ukulele workshop and present topics such as warmups, plucking and strumming, understanding chords, and how to approach improvisation. His deep knowledge of music theory will help you gain a better understanding of music and will transform you from just a ukulele player to a musician.
Learn new techniques from a virtuoso player touring the planet. And don't miss his concert also later this same evening.

  • Saturday, May 18, 4-6pm  - Abe Lagrimas - $35

JOSH BREAKSTONE JAZZ GUITAR DEVELOPING YOUR OWN VOICE

Developing your own melodic voice by the east coast jazz guitar great. "Saying it: Developing Your Own Voice" Having something to say, and saying it in one's own way, with one's own voice is the ultimate achievement in jazz. The dynamics we use in speaking are literally the same dynamics which allow us to communicate on a deep level and in a unique way in the music we play. We'll explore applying the dynamics of the voice- literally, the dynamics of speech- to jazz improvisation and see how each of us can use these dynamics in our own unique way to develop our own unique musical voice. All this will be discussed within a framework of jazz history, and we'll also go into ideas about repertoire, practicing, traps and pitfalls which are intrinsic to the guitar itself, how to listen to jazz, the functioning of the rhythm section, etc. Examples will be demonstrated and, hopefully, workshop participants will participate as well- bring your instruments!

  • Saturday, June 8, 4-6pm - Josh Breakstone - $35

STEVE JAMES ACOUSTIC BLUES GUITAR WORKSHOP

Blues and Slide tips and techniques from a pro. Fingerstyle blues guitar, in the styles of Mississippi John Hurt, Lightnin' Hopkins, Robert Johnson, Blind Blake, Merle Travis, and others. Topics covered will include alternate-bass techniques, Delta-style drones, palm muting, and exercises to create effortless dexterity, syncopations and strong grooves. Record it too.

  • Saturday, June 15, 4-6pm  - Steve James - $35

LAURENCE JUBER FINGERSTYLE GUITAR WORKSHOP

Covering arranging and performing for Fingerstyle Guitar, LJ encourages a musical approach to the guitar. Topics covered include: articulating a 'singing' melody; developing texture, bass-lines, harmonies and voicing; finding the 'groove'. Altered tunings and fresh ways of looking at Standard tuning are explored, using examples from the Beatles to LJ’s own compositions.Lots of useful information, interactivity and fun. Intermediate to advanced. With a Juber concert ticket for this night’s show the workshop is only $35.

  • Saturday, June 22, 4-6pm  - Laurence Juber - $40
  • With a Juber concert ticket purchased you pay $35 for the workshop

    PRIVATE MUSIC INSTRUCTION


Private instruction is available from our roster of fine professionals to meet your personal needs. Instruction is available for the following instruments and voice in an assortment of different styles. Quality teachers with years of experience at an affordable rate. Currently we are offering 4 1/2 hour lessons for $120.

See our TEACHER PROFILES page for details and bios of our teaching staff.

  • Guitar-Gary Mandell, Ted Owens, Bernie Pearl, Mark Shark, Stan Ayeroff
  • Piano-Gary Mandell, Kate Kohler
  • Bass-Valda Hammick, Richard Simon (Upright)
  • Violin/Fiddle-Sara Behar, Laura Kass
  • Viola-Sara Behar
  • Cello-Glenn Grab, Kevan Torfeh
  • Mandolin-Mark Shark
  • Harmonica- Chris Smith
  • Voice-Sharyn Scott
  • Saxophone/Clarinet/Flute-Kyle O'Donnell, Ken Moran
  • Trumpet-Bruce Friedman
  • Drums/Percussion-Christian Moraga
  • Banjo-Mark Shark
  • Ukulele-Gary Mandell, Mark Shark
  • Dobro, Lap Steel, Pedal Steel, Bazouki, Dulcimer & More-Mark Shark

For information and referrals or to schedule an appointment, please call our main number at Boulevard Music: (310) 398-2583