Mon, Oct 26 · 6:30 PM – 7:45 PM
$280.00 – $470.00
Beginner Harmonica with Hyllus - A Six-Week Group Class
A Six-Week Group Class with Hyllus Skill level: confident beginner (some experience but not a lot)Mondays, 6:30-7:45 pm for 6 weeks: 10/26, 11/2, 11/9, 11/16, 11/23, 12/07 This 6-week course is suitable for all beginners with even a small amount of prior experience playing the harmonica. If you don't know any songs on the harmonica but you can pick out a few single notes - or the opposite, you can't play single notes but you confidently play some songs as chords / groups of notes on the harmonica - then this class is for you. If you are a total, absolute beginner, please wait for the round of beginner classes starting winter of 2027. Every week, students will receive materials and/or advice for practicing at home, have any of their individual questions or difficulties addressed, and have the opportunity to play all together as a class. We'll be focusing on those skills most necessary for competent harmonica playing, including: playing single notes, playing a basic blues, "bending" notes, basic music theory for the harmonica, and playing along with other musicians. By the end of the course, students will have cultivated a solid foundation for a lifetime of exploring and enjoying making music with the harmonica. Required Materials: A 10-hole, Richter-tuned diatonic harmonica (that is, the standard harmonica with which most of us are familiar) in the key of C will be required for this course. An additional harmonica in the key of G is suggested but not required. Students are also encouraged to bring to class any other keys they may already own, the more the better. If purchasing new, the Hohner 1896 Marine Band is recommended. Despite the rising costs and lower funding streams that are affecting cultural institutions, Jalopy still wants to be a home for everyone seeking to learn and develop their musical practice. Therefore, this semester, we are offering the classes based on a sliding scale, inviting each student to choose a price based on their income level. Those of you who can afford to pay more than the breakeven cost, will be making it feasible for Jalopy to give scholarships to those who cannot afford the courses. Please note that these numbers are only suggestions, and you are free to pay what feels manageable and appropriate for you based on all your life's circumstances, not just annual income. As usual, you can inquire and apply for financial aid by emailing lynette@jalopytheatre.org. Sliding Scale Chart based on Annual income:$0 - $20k / year: scholarship (partial or full depending on availability)$20k-$30k / year: $280$30k - $40k / year: $330$40k -$50k / year: $375$50k -70k / year: $420$70k and up: $470 Hyllus is a New York City guitarist, singer and harmonica player specializing in both electric and acoustic harmonica styles. He studied extensively in Boston with blues legends Annie Raines (harmonica) and Paul Rishell (guitar), in addition to harmonica studies with Trip Henderson and Marcus Millius (New York) and the great Jason Ricci (of New Orleans). He has performed harmonica on stage and recorded with some of the very finest jazz, folk and blues musicians, including: Annie Raines; Arthur Terembula; and New York City locals Mara Kaye; Samoa Wilson; Miss Maybell and Charlie Judkins; The Milkman & Sons; Ernie “Papa” Vega’s Dream Shadows; Jackson Lynch & The Janks; Barry Clyde; Chris Murphy & The Automat; Felix Slim; Karl Schwarz of New Moon Acoustic Blues; Charlie Apicella and Iron City; JJ Appleton; Matt Wiffen; Bill Carney’s Jug Addicts; and many more. In 2026 his band The Veligers was featured live from Jalopy Theatre on WKCR as part of their 85th anniversary celebration. As a solo performer, in addition to his traditional solo harmonica repertoire, Hyllus sings and plays guitar primarily in the style of the pre-war acoustic blues, with a smattering of world and folk music besides.
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