Drum Circle is a fun, educational, and accessible musical experience that celebrates diversity, inclusion, and expression! Participants of drum circle will learn about various percussion instruments from all over the world and the proper technique for playing each instrument. The goal is for everyone who participates to discover and share their sense of rhythm which each other, even if just by clapping along! Dancing encouraged!

Gain a greater understanding of the existing unconscious beliefs and patterns that have created the structures of racism in our society. Explore the historic roots that shape perceptions and lead us away from a true regard for ourselves and all people. Increase awareness, effectiveness, and compassion to better play a part in a healing solution for our community. Understanding and healing can take place in an atmosphere of respect for the sacred and intrinsic value of every human being.

Students enrolled in Explore Your Voice will learn breathing, articulation, and phonation techniques. During the course, students will work on songs they have chosen. Each week, the instructor will work with them on their songs, and by the end of the course they will have learned one to two songs and have improved their speaking and singing voices. Most of all, they will have had fun! The final class will be a recital that is open to the public.

How often have you wished you had asked your parents, grandparents, or aunts and uncles about what life was like when they were younger? Young people usually don’t think to ask those questions until older loved ones are not around to answer. So, this is your chance to write down the stories of your life so that the younger generations will benefit from your wisdom, discover how you overcame difficulties or reached goals, and learn what life was like before computers and cell phones. The instructor will present topics for you to choose from, such as memories of your parents, your first job, etc., and class discussions will help spark ideas for your stories. You won’t write a complete autobiography as such, but you will wind up with a collection of memories that will become a cherished legacy for the younger generations in your family. Bring paper and a pen or a laptop if you wish, and don’t worry about spelling or grammar: It’s all about the stories! Copy fee of $1 at first class.

This class is for beginning and intermediate writers. Find your own style, while having fun putting your thoughts, experiences, fantasies, and life stories on paper. Whether writing a cherished memoir for your family, a nail-biting thriller, a romantic comedy, a daily journal, thought-provoking poetry, or even a children's book, this class is for you. Excerpts from Pauley's award-winning memoir Bumpy Rides and Soft Landings will be read and discussed. No class the week of March 17-21. Needed for class: Notebook, pen, textbook: Adventures in Writing: 101 Creative Writing Exercises, by Melissa Donovan, $10: Copy fees: $5 (both payable to instructor)

The objectives of this course are: to acquaint students with the wide variety of methods used in English to form words. To develop an appreciation of how prefixes, roots and suffixes (morphemes) come together to create meaning. To teach the specific meanings of the most common morphemes in general use. To develop skill in using morphologic analysis in understanding, learning, and effectively using vocabulary. To present an overview of the history of development of the body of English morphemes and vocabulary. Text required: Exploring English Morphology $20 purchase. Available through the instructor.

This is not a class on technologies & apps. for picture manipulation and editing. Rather, it’s all about Taking Great Pictures. What makes a good picture? Why are some pictures bland and others of the same subject more appealing? What catches our eye? Students will learn about and experiment with composition, framing, perspective, light & shadow, contrast and other elements of picture-taking through instruction and assignments, followed by sharing & critiquing pictures they have taken. They will also develop new ways of looking at the world around them. Digital cameras and cell-phone cameras are both fine.

Our class is for individuals who have no, or very limited experience with sign language and fingerspelling. We learn new sign vocabulary each week with frequent review and practice. Learn to incorporate facial expression & eye gaze and how hearing loss in any age group greatly affects communication, mood, & social skills. Text: Signing for Kids (and Adults!) by M. Flodin, $18; & $5 supplies fee --both payable to instructor by second class.