Bluegrass Jam Class at The Granite

You can already play. This is about learning to play with other people.

The Wernick Method course at the Granite is hands-on instruction in small groups, covering backup, soloing, leading songs and singing harmony, along with the standard bluegrass repertoire and the etiquette that goes with a jam. All levels are welcome and accommodated, and the teaching is deliberately friendly and supportive. The only real requirement is that you can play G, C, D and A chords, or the matching notes on fiddle or bass.

Who teaches it. Austin Scelzo of Danbury studied fiddle traditions at Mark O'Connor's Berklee String Camps and went on to learn every bluegrass instrument along with singing and songwriting. He spent four years as a middle school music teacher before going full time into bluegrass, and now performs with veterans The Rock Hearts and Americana quartet On the Trail. He has been named a Connecticut Arts Hero and nominated Mentor of the Year by the International Bluegrass Music Association.

The schedule. Mondays from 6:30 to 9pm, 5 October through 7 December, with no class on 19 October or 23 November. Eight sessions in total.

Good to know. Tuition is $285 for the eight sessions, and registration goes through the Wernick Method website rather than the Granite. It is part of The Granite Bluegrass Series.

Where to go. The Granite sits on North Main Street in the Georgetown corner of Redding, a short run for anyone in lower Fairfield County.