Long & McQuade Learning Series - Toronto, ON (Bloor St.)

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Long & McQuade Learning Series - Toronto, ON (Bloor St.)


TORONTO - 935 Bloor St. W (Upstairs in the Clinic Hall)
Registration & inquiries may be sent to 
Shannon Chapman at [email protected].

Thursday, March 7 | 7:00pm
Music and Interdisciplinary Learning with Jeff Gunn

In this workshop designed for music teachers, Jeff Gunn will show how to develop interdisciplinary units like Music and Math, Music and Science, Music and History, etc.

Jeff is a Juno Award nominated guitarist, songwriter and producer for his work on Emmanuel Jal's 'The Key', and has also recorded with Nelly Furtado, Bibi McGill, Kae Sun, and more. He is the author of the Hidden Sounds: Discover Your Own Method on Guitar, and a regular “guitar tips” contributor in print and film with publications such as Acoustic Guitar Magazine, Guitar World, and Canadian Musician. Jeff continues to serve as musical director for Jal opening for such acts as Nico & Vinz, Peter Gabriel, Mumford & Sons and Ellie Goulding.

Saturday, March 9 | 10:00am - 4:00pm (Drop-In Event)
Choosing Your Sticks and Drum Heads with Mark Cavarzan from D’Addario (Evans/Pro Mark) and Tim Popek of Long & McQuade
Drop in to the drum department to meet and learn from Mark Cavarzan, the Juno nominated drummer of rock legends - Brighton Rock. Mark will demonstrate proper stick selection, and which drum heads to choose that will suit your personal style and sound. If you have questions about what it takes to be a gold-record-certified professional touring drummer, you don’t want to miss this incredible opportunity! Tim Popek will be on site explaining basic drum repairs including changing drum heads, adjusting your kit’s hardware, and special tips for completing emergency drum repairs in the field.

Thursday, March 14 | 7:00pm
Uke Can All Learn Ukulele with Kristin Fung

A creative spirit and soulful innovator, Kristin is a dynamic, versatile, and successful performer as a vocalist, keyboardist, and composer. Join Kristin for a total beginner workshop that will take you from no ukulele experience to playing and singing a song with up to seventy other people!  Ukuleles will be provided, just bring a smile.

Saturday, March 16 | 1:00pm
How to Mix a Hit Record with Kevin Doyle

Join Juno and Grammy award winning Kevin Doyle as he demonstrates how EQ and dynamics play a role in emphasizing melodic, harmonic, and rhythmic structure within a piece of recorded music. Students should have a basic knowledge of at least one modern DAW recording platform. Kevin has worked extensively with musicians across the board since the mid 1980s, including such diverse artists as Alannah Myles, Céline Dion, Daryl Hall & John Oates, Kiss, and Van Morrison.       

Thursday, March 21 | 7:00pm
Beginner's Guide to Guitar Maintenance with Jane Unan

Co-Sponsored by Women in Music Canada, join Long & McQuade's Jane Unan for a beginner workshop all about guitar maintenance. Jane will cover many topics including how to choose and wind guitar strings properly, which tools are required to perform basic repairs, and how to "read" your guitar's neck in order to make adjustments that improve the playability of your guitar.  The concepts explained in the workshop will apply to all types of guitar.

Saturday, March 23 | 2:00pm
Know Your Fretboard with Rob Tardik
If you think it’s time to take your guitar playing to the next level, take this opportunity to learn from Rob Tardik – a multiaward winning guitarist and performer. Rob will demonstrate techniques and real-world theory that allow for greater expression and creativity in your playing. Whether you’re just starting out, or have many years of playing under your belt, knowing your fretboard is a skill that will boost your confidence when improvising and creating new music.

Saturday, March 23 | 10:00am - 5:00pm (Drop-In Event)
Everything You Wanted to Know About Cymbals with Ian Mackay of Long & McQuade
Join us in the drum department for a complete rundown on choosing specific cymbals that perfectly “colour” and
“texturize” your sound. Ian will cover how the materials that cymbals are manufactured with affect their overall sonic quality.

Thursday, March 28 | 7:00pm
Club Cubase Presents: Recording 101
Club Cubase is a monthly meetup of recording enthusiasts that focuses on Steinberg’s Cubase music recording software. If you’ve ever wondered how to get started in the world of computer recording this workshop is the perfect introduction for how to configure a recording setup and combine multiple tracks of audio in a music project.

Saturday, March 30 | 2:00pm
Songwriting Workshop with Blair Packham
Join veteran songwriter/producer/mentor Blair Packham as he talks about the art and craft of songwriting. Blair will
try to answer these questions and more: why do we write songs? Where do ideas come from? How much of songwriting is conscious vs. unconscious creativity? How does structure affect the emotional content of a song? How do I deal with writer’s block? A portion of the program will be set aside to listen to a few songs (and songs-in-progress) from the audience, on a first-come/first-served basis. Blair will offer constructive, supportive suggestions that may help complete your song or write more effective new songs. (Bring a recording—from very basic to finished master—or bring an instrument to plug in.)

Fee: FREE!