Classes, Teachers, Registration
New Term begins Monday, January 4th
Please note: All of our classes are currently being given with a combination of webinars, videos, private Zoom sessions and online interaction. You can take them on a phone, laptop, tablet or desktop computer.
We’ll move classes back into Oakhurst Baptist Church when it’s completely safe to do so.
Below you will find all the classes we’re offering this term.
Choose your registration and preferred payment options, and then register!
Click here for Term Dates, Class Hours, and School Locations.
Classes
Core Classes
Banjo
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BANJO REPERTOIRE - Anytime (Mick Kinney)
Get ready to collect two traditional tunes every week in the old time clawhammer style. Each melody will be spelled out in musical ABC, demonstrated slowly, then at natural tempo. A fiddle version of all material is also included to play along with for the sound of a live session.
Intended for those with basic clawhammer stroke experience; free introductory tutorial video available by request with registration.
This 8 session video course may be viewed at any time, and studied at your own pace. In addition to the weekly recorded video links, you will receive interactive emails with articles, chord charts, and diagrams. Since these videos are not a live stream service they will not conflict with your Mon, Tue, Wed evening classes.
Fiddle
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FIDDLE - Anytime (Mick Kinney)
Whether you’re new to fiddle, or you’re ready to experiment with different genres such as Bluegrass, Celtic, Cajun, Swing and more, this class will bring up your performance level and fine-tune your ear (no music reading is required). Beginners will learn to make confident bow strokes, keep time, and use basic scales in easy keys with simple tunes. If you’ve already mastered those skills, you’ll move on to harmony, double stops, playing in higher positions, and developing your own interests and personal style. If you’ve never picked up a fiddle, or any musical instrument, we’d recommend an “intro to fiddle setup and tuning” workshop that we will customize for new students. Please check the box you’ll see on the registration form to let us know that 1) you’ve never played fiddle before or 2) you’ve never played any instrument.
This 8 session video course may be viewed at any time, and studied at your own pace. In addition to the weekly recorded video links, you will receive interactive emails with articles, chord charts, and diagrams. Since these videos are not a live stream service they will not conflict with your Mon, Tue, Wed evening classes.
Guitar
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GUITAR FOUNDATIONS - Mon (Glen DeMeritt)
Congratulations on your next move! This is a meetup to figure out this 6-stringed enigma. We start off with a 1-on-1 video call to explore the goals you may have on your guitar journey. Then you’ll receive some “lessons” to consider for our Group Video Meetup! (The meetup time can be flexible, depending on students’use schedules.) After our meetup, we do the second half Zoom Jam!
Each week you’ll get another “lesson” for our next week’s Meetup. We’ll study the Basics of Playing the guitar in a friendly and informative environment where I bet you will amaze yourself. Be patient persistent and present. I will be available through email, phone, video or telepathy to assist in the daily challenges! Let’s play it by ear.
GUITAR 2, Building on the Basics - Wed (Glen DeMeritt)
From the footing of tradition the Foundations crew is pickin’ and a grinnin’ with boom-chucks and bass walks, slick licks that make that flat top box talk. We do what needs to be done to be the music and be the fun.
Build on what you learned in Guitar Foundations, or refresh skills you haven’t used in a while.
INTERMEDIATE FINGERSTYLE GUITAR - Wed (Payton Scott)
Pre-requisites: the ability to change chords with ease, knowledge of all basic chords, and some experience with fingerstyle guitar.
SWING GUITAR - Tue (Frank Hamilton)
Swing guitar is basically used for keeping rhythm for dancers, although it’s melodic, tuneful, using the popular songs of the late Thirties and early Forties. As dance band guitarists became more known, the instrument was basically acoustic guitar. Players such as Eddie Lang, Django Reinhardt, Lonnie Johnson, Freddie Green, Allen Ruess, Dick McDonough and Carl Kress came into prominence. The lead style derived from Lang eventually found its way into the electric style of Charlie Christian. Swing guitar is different from earlier two-beat music but developed from the dance styles of the Lindy Hop to the Fox Trot and Jitter Bug. It went out of fashion when be bop replaced it. Many of the New York City Night Clubs on 52nd Street discouraged Swing dancing and playing in favor of a more complex modern jazz. It became a lost art but was found in the playing of later electric jazz guitar players. The rhythmic patterns were based on four-four time, unlike its predecessor, two-beat Dixie or New Orleans jazz. Songs that typified that era were “Satin Doll”, “Honeysuckle Rose”, “Out of Nowhere”, “At Sundown”; a branch of Swing Guitar known as Southwestern Swing, also made for dancing, was popularized by Bob Wills and the Texas Playboys, who highlighted that style of music with “San Antonio Rose”. Early Swing Guitar players reached a high level of expertise.
In this (primarily) discussion class, Frank will demonstrate everything that he teaches, so you can follow and play each step. As each example is played, Frank will go through the applied theory so you’ll have a firm grasp of the ideas presented. The theory will involve chord construction, chord progressions, and lead lines applied to each tune learned.
Mandolin
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MORE MANDOLIN - Tue (Clark Brown)
If you already know the basic open chords in the key of D, G and A, you are ready for More Mandolin. We will learn new strum patterns, cross-picking, and some simple melodies, all while learning in a group setting, in a fun and sharing environment.
UKULELE
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UKE 1 : What's It All About - Anytime MINI CLASS (Jeff Pearlman)
Mini Class
This video course is designed for the absolute novice ukulele player. We will learn fundamental musical techniques and concepts including identifying parts of the ukulele, tuning, strumming, chording, and transposing.
This video course may be viewed at any time, and studied at your own pace. In addition to the weekly recorded video links (about 2 hours total), you will receive interactive emails with articles, chord charts, and diagrams. A short live session may be scheduled during the term. Registration includes attendance at our Second Half session (Mondays and Tuesdays) for the entire term.
MORE UKE - Tue (Jeff Pearlman)
Specialty Classes
We offer a rotation of specialized classes to keep things interesting! If the class you like isn’t being offered this term, click here to request its return, and we’ll do our best to bring it back!
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BLUES WITH A FEELING - Mon (Eryk Fisher)
Instrument: Any
Level: Beginner to Intermediate
To paraphrase Charlie McCoy…Have you ever had the blues? Everyone has from time to time. Blues is a feeling that can get you no matter who you are or where you are from. Ever since folks have learned to play music and sing they have been expressing their feelings in song. There are as many types of blues as there are types of people. Willie Dixon, Jimmie Rodgers, Ella Fitzgerald, Louis Armstrong, Etta James, Hank Williams, Patsy Cline, Woody Guthrie and Little Walter all played and sang the blues.
Everybody understands the blues!
This term we are going to introduce a variety of blues songs and their structure and develop new ways that we can play along to songs. We will work on developing our ears to help guide us through a song’s chord changes (progressions). The major & minor pentatonic scale will be introduced and discussed for all instruments. Song structures we’ll learn are 8 bar, 12 bar and 16 bar blues. And, we’ll discuss the blues scale and 7th chords.
CAJUN FIDDLE - Tue (Barbara Panter)
The Cajun tune “Jolie Blon” started Barbara on a quest that eventually led to learning from the late great Cajun fiddler, Dewey Balfa, at workshops and visits to Mr. Dewey’s home in Basile, LA. Cajun music is the music of immigrants from France who fled persecution and ultimately settled in South Louisiana by way of Canada. It’s filled with a powerful mixture of ancient old world melodies, elements of blues and Creole. The class will be focused on learning Cajun fiddle melodies, techniques that make Cajun music unique, and “seconding” on fiddle.
This class is geared mainly to fiddle but could accommodate mandolin and guitar.
CELTIC TROUBADOUR - Tue (Payton Scott)
Build a repertoire of Irish and Scottish tunes you can sing to your own accompaniment. In this course, you’ll learn Celtic pronunciation and vocal techniques, along with the rhythms associated with this lively style of music. Instrumentalists (strings, flutes, drums, etc.) will pick up the chords and rhythms to back up singers, and singers will learn how to accompany themselves within this style of music.
All instruments are welcome.
DANCING ALONE, TOGETHER—Popular Solo Social Dances - Anytime (Andy Howard)
A Survey of dance styles from Regional Dance Halls, Weddings and Celebrations.
Learn one or two dances every lesson from social dance halls, celebrations and events across North America. Including Country Western and contemporary line dances, Zydeco line dances, Schottisches, Cowboy Cha Cha, Cotton Eyed Joe, 7 Steps Polka, popular wedding and party dances, and more. Dances will be taught for solo dancing as a practical emphasis, but bonus variations will be given at times if you happen to be social dis-dancing with a dance partner. Lessons will be provided by video, so you can watch them on-demand and as many times as you want. Dance for fun, for exercise, to increase your step count, or to blow off some steam and boost your mood with movement!
IRISH INSTRUMENTALS (SESSION TUNES) - Mon (John Maschinot)
Irish Session Tunes – Appreciation and Learning for Melody Instruments
You can certainly play Irish music by yourself (and you should, at least for practice!) but there’s nothing more enjoyable than a good Irish music session with folks who play at your skill level. In this class you’ll not only learn some starter tunes but you’ll learn the difference between simply playing the notes of a tune and playing a tune “Irish style,” how Irish sessions function, how to find or start the right session for your ability, session “etiquette” and more. Melody instruments only: fiddle, penny whistle, flute, concertina, accordion, mandolin, harp etc. Guitars and bouzoukis are fine if you want to learn to play melody lines – we won’t learn accompaniment in this class. Participants must have at least moderate abilities on their instruments.
SING YOUR HEART OUT! - Wed (Barbara Panter)
Come sing all manner of songs, from Southern Appalachian mountain tunes to country to early rock. We’ll start with a strong feel for the main melody, timing, and phrasing, and add harmonies where they fit in a supportive and friendly group setting. No need for extensive vocal experience or ability to read music. It is helpful for participants to be able to match basic pitch, which we will practice.
SONGWRITING LAB - Tue (George Eckard)
CAJUN & ZYDECO MUSIC - Anytime (Mick Kinney)
All material will be demonstrated on accordion or fiddle in video links sent weekly for anytime study. There will also be a mid term and final live Zoom jam TBA.
This course will provide French lyrics with pronunciation coaching, English translation, chords, strum styles for guitar as well as some instruction in two unique percussion instruments- the ‘ti fer (triangle), and washboard.
Fiddlers should join Barbara Panter’s Cajun Fiddle class.
Don't see a class you want?
Teachers
Clark Brown
Glen DeMeritt
George Eckard
George Eckard is a Decatur resident who has lived in the Atlanta area for more than 50 years. When his parents bought a little red ukulele for him, much to their surprise, he began to play it, they began to acquire more instruments for him and they offered encouragement for his musical endeavors. His big brother took him to see Bob Dylan at the Municipal Auditorium in downtown Atlanta for his 15th birthday. That same year Miss Harbin, his ninth grade English teacher who looked a little like Greta Garbo, told him that he had the heart of a poet. Somewhere in this soil the seeds of songwriting were planted. He started songwriting in college and has had a passion for it ever since. He has played at local venues solo, with the Unusual Suspects and, currently, with the 4 Man String Band. Today, he is completing work on his second collection of songs called Love the Land.
Eryk Fisher
Max Godfrey

Max’s first love is traditional American music. He has led workshops on worksongs and other call-and-response songs at colleges, farms, and community centers all over the northeast, including Sheepscot General, Whitefield ME; Williams College; Full Plate Farm Collective, Ithaca NY; Common Ground Farm, Beacon NY; Williamstown Rural Lands Foundation, Williamstown MA; SUNY New Paltz; and Billings Forge Community Works, Hartford CT. He has also taught worksongs and old-time fiddle at the Folk Music Society of New York Spring weekend 2014.
Max’s vision is to give his students the tools they need to play by ear, play with others, improvise, and teach themselves. He makes it fun and easy for people learn together by using a call-and-response teaching method that develops a strong connection between ear, voice, and instrument. Then it’s natural to learn new music and join in with any group, and to play or sing well, too!
Max regularly performs in Atlanta at Freedom Farmers Market at the Carter Center, Grant Park Farmers Market, East Atlanta Farmers Market, Root City Pop-up Markets, and The Pullman in Kirkwood. Max’s essays on worksongs have been published in Taproot (Issue 13) and on Bennett Konesni’s worksongs.org.
Facebook pages for Max’s current projects:
Max Godfrey (Solo performance, lessons, writing, and workshops)
The New Millennium Jelly Rollers
Max teaches Old-time American fiddle styles, clawhammer banjo and country-blues and folk guitar privately. You can contact him about lessons at mgodfrey218@gmail.com, or maxgodfrey.me or 404 218 4707.
Frank Hamilton
John Harvey
Andy Howard
Andy Howard
Director, American Racket Cloggers
Director, Florida Clogging Festival
Andy Howard is a sixth generation Floridian currently living in Atlanta. He earned a Masters of Arts in American Dance Studies from Florida State University, authoring a thesis on the history and social origins of American Team Clogging. He also earned a Masters of Arts in International Business from the University of Florida. He is a leader in the clogging community, a regular featured instructor at C.L.O.G. national conventions and regional events throughout North America. His troupe, American Racket, has performed throughout the U.S. and in South Korea, Brazil, Canada and Costa Rica.American Racket has shared stages with Bill Cosby, Ted Koppel, Wayne Brady, Sister Hazel, Sugar Ray, Dane Cook and others. Andy is an active performer, judge, instructor and conference presenter. His professional career focuses on marketing, art direction and public relations for companies including Orlando Opera Company, Orlando Repertory Theatre, the University of Florida College of the Arts, the University of Florida Department of Recreational Sports and (currently) the Georgia Tech Research Corporation in Atlanta. He has taught credit-earning dance courses in tap, clogging and world dance at Florida State University and Santa Fe College, worked as an entertainer at Walt Disney World Resort and has been a regular instructor for the University of Florida’s Dance for Life program which involves researching the impact of movement and dance on people with Parkinson’s Disease and their caregivers. Andy enjoys traveling, performing and outdoor photography, including underwater photography documenting Florida’s extensive network of pristine fresh-water springs. He holds a Group Exercise certification from the Aerobics and Fitness Association of America (AFAA). He was inducted into the All American Clogging Team in 2002, the Clogging Team of the Decade in 2010, and the Florida Clogging Hall of Fame in 2015.
David Robert King
Mick Kinney
Mick Kinney enjoys fiddling a variety of styles including Appalachian, Cajun, Celtic, Blues and Swing. A professional musician since 1978, he has played the 1982 World Fair, McCabe’s, House of Blues, Bluebird Cafe, Rendez vous des Cajuns, and NPR’s Mountain Stage. Mick has performed with John Hartford, Victoria Williams, Michelle Malone, Atlanta blues man Frank Edwards, and 1920s recording artist Stranger Malone. Recent collaborations as a folklorist have been with the Smithsonian New Harmonies exhibit, Georgia Humanities Council, Carpetbag Theater, Dust to Digital Records and Northwest Georgia Textile Heritage Trail. Currently, Mick appears often with Elise Witt, jazz clarinetist Dub Hudson, and the Kinney family old time dance band “The HickHoppers.” He has been an instructor at Swannanoa Gathering, John C. Campbell Folk School, Mars Hill College, Alabama Folk School, and Festival of American Fiddle Tunes. His class will focus on traditional fiddle technique and musical concepts such as scales, modes, and harmony.
John McCutcheon
John McCutcheon is a 6-time Grammy nominee, multi-instrumentalist, songwriter, and legendary folk music performer. He is one of the foremost hammer dulcimer players in the world, one of the primary figures in the US hammer dulcimer revival, showcasing traditional players, and authoring instruction methods and workshops that have introduced thousands to this ancient and beautiful instrument.
John Maschinot
John put down guitar and took up penny whistle as a young lad in the 1970s after realizing there were just too many Jimmy Page, Ace Frehley and Doc Watson wannabes to compete with. After meeting the great Chicago uilleann piper Joe Shannon, he added the pipes and Irish wooden flute to his instrumental arsenal and set off on a lifelong musical journey. In the late ’70s/early ’80s John was keen to destroy a few good tunes with fellow beginners at whatever establishment or street corner would be fool enough to have them.
But by the mid ’80s he found his way and started The Buddy O’Reilly Band, for many years the big cheese of the Atlanta Irish/folk music scene. “The Buddies” have produced 3 albums and a whole lot of great music and fun!
John has since gone on to a solo career and participate in many bands and collaborations. His latest venture is with the music and dance trio, Ah Surely. And he’s been involved with productions big and small. He created and produces Atlanta’s annual Celtic Christmas concert, celebrating 27 years in 2018.
He’s a leader at The Marlay House Trad Tuesday night in Decatur – 10 years of trad music!
John’s been teaching Irish music workshops and privately for about half of his 58 years.
And he discovered, though he couldn’t quite match Jimi Hendrix’s guitar on uilleann pipes, he could at least come close to his soul!
Barbara Panter-Connah
Jeff Pearlman
Jeff has been playing music since taking up the trumpet in middle school. Highlights of his four years in the high school marching band include a stint on tuba and meeting his wife. Jeff also began playing guitar in high school. When Jeff’s children were younger, neighbor Frank Hamilton recommended the ukulele for them. The kids didn’t learn the instrument, but Jeff did. The ukulele led to banjo and then a return to guitar. Over the years, Jeff has spent countless hours sharing music with school-aged children and adult peers.
Jeff approaches music lessons as a collaboration between teacher and student. By nurturing a rapport with his students, he can shape his classes to satisfy the individual tastes and goals of everyone in the group. In his class you’ll develop not just as an instrumentalist, but as a musician; learning by ear will give you the both the ability to play the songs you’ll learn from Jeff, but the capacity to play along with songs you don’t know!
Pat Powers

Fritz Rauschenberg
Fritz has played and taught guitar for over 40 years and has performed folk music and “songs of the heart” in halls, coffee houses and bars for about as long as a singer/songwriter. He has taught private and group lessons in local music shops. Fritz loves to kindle the light of musical passion in his students, and his warm, relaxed teaching style reflects the pleasure he takes in bringing people and new music together.
Fritz studied classical guitar and music theory with Lyster Bass (Lyster currently teaches at Maple Street Guitars in Atlanta). During that time he played in the master class seminar at Emory University.
Fritz also enjoys playing ukulele, octave mandolin, mandola and harmonica. His luthier work includes restoring and repairing acoustic stringed instruments in the violin, guitar and mandolin families.
Lisset & Judith Rodés
Born and raised in the musical city of Matanzas, Cuba, sisters Lisset & Judith Rodés both sing, and play guitar, as well as congas, bongos, claves, maracas, guiro, and campana. They draw from a repertoire of “Son” classics, boleros, trova ballads, and cha cha chas, Their collective experience includes international performances with Cuban artists Eliades Ochoa of Buena Vista Social Club, Pedro Louis Ferrer, and composer Lazaro Horta.
Lisset & Judith now live and teach in Dekalb Co, and have an Atlanta based band, CubanaSong.
Shelley Satonin-Hershkovits
Payton Scott
Mike Simpson
Mike Simpson has been a leader in the Atlanta Irish music scene for 25 years. In the early 90s he wrote what was for years the web’s leading tin whistle tutorial, and taught slow sessions in the late 90s and early 2000s. He has played in numerous bands and ensembles over the years including Caislean, The New Road, and The Long Drop, and anchored Atlanta’s longest-running traditional music session from 1993 to 2013. In 2004 he went to Dublin and obtained the T.T.C.T. certification for teachers of Irish music (on fiddle), and in 2009 he released a self-produced CD entitled, “Other Forms of Magic”. He currently anchors a weekly session at The Wrecking Bar, and performs for contra dances and special occasions.
Private lessons are available on a wide variety of instruments. Please contact us or call Shelley Satonin-Hershkovits at 770.815.0518 if you’re interested!
Registration & Payment Options
Sign up for a single term: 1 Class or 2nd Half only
1 Class : 1 Term
Choose your class, and register for a single term.
Pay your class fee online or by check.
Mon Classes (7 wks, no class 1/18)
$131.25 per student
$122.50 for FHS Members
Tue, Wed & Anytime Classes (8 wks)
$150 per student
$140 for FHS Members
Anytime Mini Class
$56 per student
$52 for FHS Members
2nd Half : 1 Term
If you already play pretty well but want to find new musical friends, our Second Half option is for you!
Join in at 8:15pm for 40 minutes of jamming and singing!
Note: 2nd Half is now only on Tuesday and Wednesday!
Pay your class fee online or by check.
$25 per student per term.
Get a discount by going on recurring, monthly auto-pay
Once you’re signed up, just come back each new term and select your class(es)
1 Class : Monthly Auto-pay
(new signups)
Save money and learn continuously! Continue for as long as you like; stop any time.
You must be a Frank Hamilton School MEMBER to take advantage of this monthly payment option.
Requires monthly auto-pay through PayPal.
$62 per month for FHS Members*
2 Classes : Monthly Auto-pay
(new signups)
Learn a lot and save a bundle! Continue for as long as you like and stop any time.
You must be a Frank Hamilton School MEMBER to take advantage of this monthly payment option.
Requires monthly auto-pay through PayPal.
$96 per month for FHS Members*
Are you a returning student, already on auto-pay?
Just click below to select your classes for this term!
* Click here for information about membership and benefits!
All the F.Y.I.
CLASS DATES/TIMES/LOCATIONS
Please note: All of our classes are currently being given with a combination of webinars, videos, private Zoom sessions and online interaction. You can take them on a phone, laptop, tablet or desktop computer.
We’ll move classes back into Oakhurst Baptist Church when it’s completely safe to do so.
Term 1, 2021
January 4 — February 24
Mon, Tue, Wed classes
Monday
1/4, 1/11, 1/25, 2/1, 2/8, 2/15, 2/22
(no class Mon, 1/18, MLK Day)
Tuesday
1/5, 1/12, 1/19, 1/26, 2/2, 2/9, 2/16, 2/23
Wed
1/6, 1/13, 1/20, 1/27, 2/3, 2/10, 2/17, 2/24
Hours:
Classes are from 7pm-8:45pm
except “Anytime” classes which can be viewed at any time!
2nd Half’ers join in at 8:15pm (Tues and Wed only)
Questions? Contact us!