THE MUSICIAN’S WORKSHOP
MEET OUR INSTRUCTORS
Richie Barshay
Richie Barshay began drumming inside kitchen cabinets at an early age, and continues banging on things worldwide to this day. From his work with Herbie Hancock, Chick Corea, Esperanza Spalding, The Klezmatics and many others, to his music outreach across 5 continents as an American Musical Envoy with the U.S. State Department, he's been called "a major innovator who also knows how to have fun,” by The Guardian/UK. He can be heard on over 100 recordings as a sideman spanning many genres of music, and a few albums of his own compositions. Based in Northampton, Massachusetts and New York City, he is an AmSAT certified Alexander Technique teacher helping performing artists and others regain more body-mind coordination and ease of movement. www.richiebarshay.com
Maggie Shar
Maggie Shar is an innovative clawhammer banjo player, performer and teacher. She has been playing clawhammer banjo for nearly two decades. Her unique syncopated, expressive style has earned her 1st place in the 2018 Northeast Fiddler's Convention Banjo Contest, 1st place at the 2018 Oldtone Roots Festival Banjo Contest, and 3rd place in the 2022 Online Old-time banjo contest. She performs regularly with The Ephemeral Stringband and The Moon Shells. She is also co-founder of Little Roots, a popular early childhood music program and band. Maggie teaches private and group lessons in person, at camps, and online to banjo players of all ages around the world.
Chris Freeman
Chris Freeman is a singer/songwriter and clawhammer banjo player who is a founding member of the band Parsonsfield and performs solo under the name FREEMANN. He also serves as the Executive Director of The Parlor Room. His classes focus on traditional banjo techniques for beginners and learning how to apply those techniques to modern music for more advanced players. Above all he seeks to introduce the joy of making music into as many hearts as possible!
Heather Maloney
“Writer song-singer” Heather Maloney found music in the midst of three years at a meditation center, honing a sound moored in days of silent reflection and reverence for storytellers like Joni, Rilke and Ken Burns. She’s since toured across the US and Canada, sharing stages with celebrated songwriters like Shawn Colvin, Mary-Chapin Carpenter, Colin Hay, Dar Williams and Lori McKenna. She has written and released 8 studio albums, and her most recent live album, “No Shortcuts, Live at the Academy.” https://www.heathermaloney.com/
For her workshops, she’s boiled down the essentials of what she’s learned in her 15-year songwriting career, created a supportive group-feedback method for works-in-progress, and developed unique and effective songwriting prompts— including her own “Songwriter’s Lens”, a practice designed to train our brains break old writing habits, encourage poetic thinking, and find inspiration in the ordinary stuff of our lives.
Brian Slattery
Brian Slattery has been playing traditional American music for 30 years, most notably with the Moon Shells and Mississippi fiddle scholar Harry Bolick. He has taught at Augusta Heritage Center, the Dance Flurry, Spice on Snow, and regional festivals, and has a number of private students. He’s also the arts editor for the New Haven Independent.
Zak Trojano
Zak Trojano graduated from Skidmore College in 2002 with a BS in music. Since then he has garnered much acclaim as an internationally touring songwriter and performer. Glide Magazine notes,“(Trojano) sings with a compelling timbre that along with his erudite guitar work, makes him one of indie rock’s most unconventional yet talented troubadours...”. In addition to his solo work, Zak was a founding member of the popular group Rusty Belle. He has recorded and performed with such notable artists as: Chris Smither, John Mayall, Jeffrey Foucault, Kris Delmhorst, Peter Mulvey, and many others. While maintaining an active touring schedule, Zak works as the guitar instructor at Greenfield Community College. He has been teaching privately for over 20 years with a passion for guiding students who are interested in deepening their relationship to music. Zak has a particular interest in finger-style guitar, songwriting, and music theory. http://www.zaktrojano.com/
Anna Patton
Anna Patton is a versatile clarinetist, singer, composer, arranger, and educator driven by musical curiosity. She is the co-founder of Zara Bode’s Little Big Band, in which she plays clarinet and writes the band’s arrangements. She also works with the internationally touring dance band Elixir, which plays American and Celtic fiddle tunes with a horn section, influenced by early jazz, R&B, and classical music. She has recorded albums as a solo artist and with Elixir, and appears on albums by many other artists including Julian Gerstin, Julie Vallimont, and Andrew VanNorstrand. She directs the Soubrette Jazz Choir based at the Vermont Jazz Center, which performs her creative arrangements of historical and contemporary American music.
Anna has a Masters of Music from New England Conservatory’s Contemporary Improvisation program, with a focus on Aural Skills, Composition, and Early Jazz. She is endlessly fascinated by how the ear makes sense of music and is excited to explore harmonies with participants at the Parlor Room
Glenn Weiser
Glenn Weiser studied classical guitar in high school with Maestro Paul Battat, and later fingerstyle guitar with ragtime guitarist Eric Schoenberg. He also received instruction on mandolin from John McGann of the Berklee College of Music and pointers on blues harmonica from Jerry Portnoy, formerly of the Muddy Waters Blues Band. Now based in Connecticut, Glenn has taught students of all ages and levels how to play guitar, banjo, mandolin, harmonica, fiddle, ukulele, and electric bass for over 40 years. Acoustic Guitar magazine has called him a “master teacher.” The styles he teaches include folk, bluegrass, blues, Celtic music, old-time string band music, classical guitar, fingerstyle guitar, and classic rock. Glenn is the author of nine books on fingerstyle guitar and six books on harmonica, and has written for Acoustic Guitar and Sing Out! magazines. He has performed at festivals, coffeehouses, and other venues in the Northeast, and has two CDs of fingerstyle guitar music available. Glenn is ranked among harmonica.com’s 100 Top Musicians. He is also the admin of Facebook’s Celtic Guitar Group and the Bluegrass, Country and Old-Time Harmonica group.
Glenn is also available for private lessons in Northampton on all the above-named instruments and styles, with all levels taught. Contact him at 413-455-9215 or at banjoandguitar100@yahoo.com
Website: www.celticguitarmusic.com
Pete Nelson
Pete Nelson has led songwriting workshops at Amherst College, Williams College, Marlboro College, Fairfield University and locally in Northampton. He has taught in the MFA programs at Emerson College and Fairfield University, as well as at R.I.S.D. and the University of Iowa. A writer all his life, he has published 30 books, and 200+ stories or articles in national magazines. He has two CDs, “The Restless Boys Club” and “Days Like Horses” on the Signature Sounds Label. His one woman musical, “Last Request; a Love Story” was recently performed by Tracy Grammer. He was nominated by the Boston Music Awards as best new folk artist (but lost to Patty Griffin) and his second album reached #12 on the Americana Charts. Maine Public Radio called him “America’s best unknowm songwriter.” He has recorded with Greg Brown, Christine Lavin, John Gorka, Cliff Eberhardt, Bill Morrissey, Patty Larkin, Dar Williams, Peter Mulvey and others. He is excited to be teaching for The Parlor Room.