Zeitgeist Immersive Workshop Series
150 Years of Life-Changing Music Comes to Life
Dive into the rich, deep history of blues music! This 6-week workshop series takes you on a journey through the music that shaped America across many, many decades!
Not only will you learn the history and culture of the blues as it evolved through the years, you'll play them!
Dive into the rich blues scene in Portland. In the course of 6 weeks, you'll meet performers in the blues community, you'll learn blues jam etiquette, you'll learn about the blues dance scene (and maybe even dance a little!), and the places to hear the best music in PDX.
Then, on the final week, you will play on stage with one of Portland's Blues Celebrities! International award-winning artists like LaRhonda Steele, Kevin Hart, and Ben Rice will lead our final blues jam to a crowd of blues dancers!
What is a Zeitgeist immersive workshop?
We do stuff differently here.
If we're going to teach you something, we're going to make sure you don't just hear it from us.
You do it, you dive in head first and make it yours!
We're not just going to tell you that when people started moving into the cities, the delta blues beat sped up and became rock and roll.
You're going to play it!
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We immerse ourselves directly in the social, economic, technological, and artistic movements of the time and directly relate those themes to what is going on in the music. We talk about WHY Beale Street was such a phenomenon, WHY that one Muddy Waters recording shook the world, and WHY African Americans moving into the cities 100 years ago changed the musical landscape for artists of today.
We're not afraid to explore the nitty-gritty: in fact, we love it! And here's the cool thing:
It really doesn't matter what level player you are!
The ONE thing that qualifies you to join is an enthusiasm for the music! We will adapt to your level, your instrument, and your background.
Ed Kopp
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Ed Kopp has spent the last 40 years playing, recording, and teaching. His expertise as a teacher and performer includes:
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rock
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blues
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jazz
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funk
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folk
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... and more!
His enthusiasm is contagious, his knowledge is overflowing, and his skill is undeniable.
Ed has a BFA in Jazz Guitar from Ithaca College. He has been professionally performing since the age of 14 and has performed in clubs and studios in New York, London and across the U.S. and Europe.
During this course, Ed will contextualize blues music from the perspective of a professional musician and performer. He will also give you personalized coaching on improving your own playing, whether you have only recently picked up your instrument or have been playing for years.
What people are saying...
The Zeitgeist... sessions are easygoing and great fun. Upbeat people, playing a wide variety of... music, learning all the while -- what's there to not like? I feel like my playing has really improved.
~ Martin, electric bass
Details you need to know
This course is run in Morgan's home in Eastmoreland, Portland.
Each session is 2 hours long. During that time we dive into the essential songs from different styles of the blues. We'll play them, talk about them, learn some riffs, learn some theory, learn some history, and play them again.
As the course progresses, we'll bring back songs we've played before, especially when we notice threads connecting them!
Then, for our final session, we will perform on stage with one of Portland's finest blues artists, to a crowd of blues dancers!
A university course in Portland on the History of Rock costs $624. 14 hours of private lessons, based on the area average, costs $980.
What are we charging? $249 for the entire series. Not only do you get the contents of both a university class and private lesson, you also get the added benefit of accelerating your learning by playing with like-minded peers in a comfortable environment...AND performing onstage with the greatest artists in Portland!
About the Zeitgeist Academy
Zeitgeist means "spirit of the times." It is an energy that pervades every culture and era!
The mission of the Zeitgeist Academy is to promote musical literacy and joyfulness for all. We are dedicated to creating healthy arts communities around the world.
A small amount of education goes a long way in creating a lasting joy and appreciation for a piece of music, and all our programs—from music reading to sea shantys—are comprehensive and historically contextualized.
