goals

Photo of Jason playing the guitar, with the same text as the description.

Take Your First Guitar Solo – September 8, 2024

In this 2 hour workshop you’ll Begin taking improvised solos THAT DAY, and gain insights for your continued study for years to come. Play along MP3s, so you can continue to grow your new skills outside of the workshop. PDFs of all the material covered Complimentary access to Jason’s Creating and Understanding the Guitar Notemap online lesson. Register

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White Oak Festival – Introduction to Nature Journaling

Create a one-of-a-kind keepsake celebrating the natural wonders and easygoing community of the White Oak Savannah and Festival. Your guide, artist, musician and educator Jason McInnes, will open the workshop with simple sketching warm ups to shake off any hesitancy and then we’ll be off to fill our journals with majestic oaks, favorite rocks, boisterous clouds and perhaps the elusive circle of jamming musicians in their natural habitat.   All the while Jason will be there as an encouraging guide for folks that are new to, and experienced in, putting pen to sketchbook. Journals and drawing tools will be provided. In addition, you are very welcome to bring your own favorite journal and supplies.

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The Hermit – June 28 Release Day

“The Hermit chronicles a journey. These instrumentals, played on acoustic guitar, banjo and other acoustic instruments, combined with poetry and accompanying artwork expresses a stepping away from an established, but unstable and consumptive, life path onto the ultimately more stable, yet unknowable trail of accepted impermanence.” Read more about the album and listen to preview tracks now at jasonmcinnes.bandcamp.com.    

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Music Crew Begins June 26 – Runs Through August 25

Working Together to Cultivate Music Knowledge & Expression A mix of in-person music ensemble classes and private lessons opportunities, located in Albuquerque, NM.In Music Crew we’ll focus on working together to play as a band!. All instrumentalist and vocalists are welcome to join. Musicians from all experience levels are encouraged. Both beginning and experienced musicians/singers will find value in balancing collective work and individual expression. More about Music Crew and Registration Options

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Virtual Songwriter’s Exchange with Jess and Jason

Join Jess and Jason for an intrepid discussion about the accidents, discoveries, breaking apart and gluing together involved in the creative process and songwriting in particular. Registration is free, but is required.Register at https://www.knowingtrees.com/storeYou’ll receive an email with the Zoom link for the discussion. Find Jess’ music at https://joybirdmusic.bandcamp.com/ Find Jason’s music at https://jasonmcinnes.bandcamp.com/

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“How do you do THAT!?!?!?” Learn a Song By Ear: An Approach (Free Self-Guided Lesson)

When I was first taking guitar lessons my teacher told me to bring in a cassette of any song that I wanted to play. I was so blown away when he’d hear it, having never heard it before, and by the end of the lesson have written down how to PLAY THE SONG. How did he do that?!?!?!?!?!? He taught me some stuff, but he definitely never taught me how figure how songs for myself. In the years sense, I’ve gleaned a lot about how people learn by ear. And, being on the other side of the teacher/student dynamic I often hear my student bewilderment as to how I can play by ear. And, I found that while many hear me be able to do it, they didn’t have a grasp of WHAT I was doing. At first the task seems quite daunting but once it’s broken down into a few manageable steps, it’s really not so difficult. It does take time and effort, but I am fully convinced that it doesn’t take any special talents or innate abilities. This is a self-lead lesson where I present very short videos that describe the exact process I use to learn a song by ear.   Give it a try and listen to how it goes. Drop me a note to let me know how you do, and if you have any questions or concerns. Enjoy! Learn a Song by Ear by Jason McInnes

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Practicing Greyscales cover

Revisiting My “Practicing Greyscales” Sketchbook

I stepped up to the paper and realized, almost immediately, that I did not have control of the necessary skills to complete the piece as I wanted. I could understand the process intellectually, but it wasn’t going to come out of my pen without more practice.

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