Workshops
Patterns in Repeat: A Songwriting Workshop, with Lilly Bechtel
In this collaborative workshop, we will explore the use of refrains in the songs we love and the songs we make. How do great choruses gradually build meaning each time they appear? How do we write songs that speak to what is universal while still conveying a voice that is our own? What makes repetition effective, and how can we engage it more thoughtfully and skillfully in our own work? The afternoon will consist of a dynamic blend of writing, conversation, and listening to music, and leave students with further prompts, writing exercises, and tools to expand their sense of possibility in their songs. The overarching workshop structure will move in response to the curiosities and goals of those present and beginner songwriters (as well as the songwriting curious!) are welcome.
Date and Time:
Sunday, 9/28
1pm – 4pm
Skills Required:
This workshop is open to all levels — no prior songwriting experience is necessary. Curiosity, a love of music, and a willingness to experiment are all you need! Ages 15+.
What to Bring:
- A notebook and something to write with
- Optional: the name of a song with a chorus you love (email this ahead of time to Lilly at nightteachermusic@gmail.com if possible)
About the Instructor:
Lilly Bechtel is a poet, musician, and trauma-informed yoga instructor with 15 years of experience leading creative writing and mindfulness workshops. Her music has been noted in Relix magazine and featured on NPR and her non-fiction and poetry has appeared in Poetry, elephant journal, The Huffington Post, Barrow Street Journal, The Faster Times, The Brooklyn Rail, and USA Today. Lilly is the recipient of a fellowship from The Vermont Studio Center and in July 2020, she completed an MFA in Poetry from Warren Wilson. Since returning to her hometown of Charlottesville she has continued to write songs and poems as well as perform and tour under the name Night Teacher. She is currently working on her second album of original music, Year of the Snake, which will be released in October 2025.
Bluegrass Harmony Singing Crash Course Workshop with Bill Evans
Sunday, October 19 from 1pm – 3pm
For all folks who sing or who would like to sing – no prior experience necessary! Harmony singing is an important and tremendously fun part of bluegrass music. In this relaxed and incredibly fun singing session, you’ll experience close harmony bluegrass singing and learn how this is different from the kind of singing you might have encountered in choirs and in church singing. You will try your voice out for each of the three parts in a bluegrass trio (called the lead, tenor & baritone) and you’ll explore the different ways to arrange these parts depending upon the range of the singers and the key of the song. You’ll also understand how to arrange parts when men and women are singing together and learn the secrets of finding a harmony part on the fly in a jam session. All ages are welcome and there’s no need to bring an instrument – just bring yourself, as many friends as possible and your voices!
**Special note: For those of you who attended this workshop earlier this year, Bill promises to teach a different tune and focus on the different way of arranging parts for both male and female singers.
More About Bill
Shenandoah Valley resident and Banjo For Dummies author Bill Evans is one of the most experienced bluegrass teachers & workshop leaders in the world. His instruction is practical, down-to-earth and designed for the adult learner. Bill is a member of the American Banjo Museum’s Hall of Fame and is a Steve Martin Banjo Prize recipient. He has performed with David Grisman, Tony Trischka, Hazel Dickens, David Bromberg, Dry Branch Fire Squad, and many others in a professional career that now spans almost five decades. He currently tours with his solo show The Banjo in America and performs with his wife Babi. He also tours annually with the California Bluegrass Reunion, featuring mandolinist John Reischman.
Bill has produced nine instructional video projects including Harmony Singing Made Easy from the Murphy Method and he is the co-author of Parking Lot Picker’s Songbook: Banjo Edition. He directed popular bluegrass jam classes in Berkeley, CA for many years and also hosts five online banjo courses for Peghead Nation, in addition to teaching one-on-one banjo lessons online and from his home in Mt. Sidney. His latest recording is Things Are Simple, which Bluegrass Unlimited reviewed as “more than a masterpiece, it’s a celebration.” In early 2024, he performed for The Front Porch with banjo icon Alan Munde.
www.youtube.com/BillEvansBanjo
Email: bill@billevansbanjo.com