Popups are short-term classes of any length, from one day to a few weeks.

Upcoming Pop-Ups (SPRING 2026)

JANUARY AND FEBRUARY: Guided Jazz Improvisation Workshop: Jazz improvisation sessions with members of the Moment’s Notice Quartet, Tom VanBuren (saxophone) and Victor Lopez (bass).  A guided improvisation workshop for intermediate and above instrumentalists and vocalists. Develop your skills in hearing, thinking and practicing in harmony, playing with the various song forms and styles used in jazz, and rhythm training in swing, bop, latin, and fusion music. Sessions will take place on Mondays in January and February, 3:30pm to 5:30pm in the Bagaduce Music Performance Hall.

FEBRUARY 11th: Listening Beyond the Mind: An Experiential Introduction to Sound Therapy: Sound has been used for centuries to soothe the body, focus the mind, and restore balance. In this immersive one-hour introduction, Lucy and Wayne (Hymn for Her) will guide participants through foundational sound-therapy practices using tuning forks, drums, singing bowls, and gongs. You’ll learn simple tuning fork techniques for self-regulation, experience rhythmic drumming to support nervous system calm, and be guided into deep listening through bowls and gong tones that help the thinking mind soften and let go. This class is part learning, part experience—designed to leave you grounded, relaxed, and curious about the therapeutic power of sound.

MARCH 10th – 31st: Bodhrán with Bob McCormick (Tuesdays at 5pm): Bodhrán is a traditional Celtic drum. Lessons will be geared towards beginners and intermediate levels, but no drums/tippers will be provided. Please bring your own drum and a tipper. Students will learn waltzes, polkas, slip jigs, etc., and after five lessons, students will be especially proficient in playing jigs and reels.

MARCH 11th: Songwriting with Lissa Schneckenburger: Join Lissa for an in-depth songwriting workshop in the Bagaduce Music Performance Hall. Participants will learn writing tips and techniques, ideas for getting over writer’s block, and get to share their questions and original work.

MARCH 11th: Deepening Your Groove with All Instruments, with Garrett Cameron: Come take a dive into all things time and why it matters! Topics will include time feel and how it relates to playing with others whether in sessions or in smaller groups, how to develop a stronger internal sense of time, and how to lock in with other musicians. This class is great for everyone, whether you play melody on fiddle, back up tunes on guitar, and everything in between.

MARCH 28th and APRIL 4th: Sound Mapping and Sonic Memoir: How do we connect to our community through sound? Can sound inform place? In a series of workshops led by teaching artists Clare Monfredo and Edward Kass from DownEast New Music (DENM), participants from the Blue Hill area and Bagaduce community will strengthen their connection to community and self through enhancing aural awareness, sound mapping, and preserving memories. Culminating in a public presentation of sonic collages or sound maps, this program will empower participants to create, express, and honor their stories and relationships.

Past Pop-Ups:

Harmony: Improvised and Arranged (October 2025): In this five-week popup class led by Mia Bertelli, one song will be our material for an entire month. We will spend the first portion of the month exploring how to improvise harmonies for our song, and the second part of the month exploring arrangements for the harmonies we’ve settled on.

Cape Breton Step Dance (September 2025): Cape Breton Step Dance is an aerobic dance activity for all ages. These dance sessions are geared towards beginner and advanced-beginner step dancers. Jigs, strathspeys, and reels will be taught to students. No experience needed, but bring soft-bottom shoes that can slide!

Register for these popups and any class or camp here.