Decatur Makers

FULL SERIES: $100 or $25 for A LA CARTE CLASSES
REGISTER AT: DecaturMakers.org

🎶 From Theory to Track: A 5-Part Music Workshop Series 🎶
Dive into the full journey of music creation—from the building blocks of harmony to shaping your own synth sounds, programming beats, recording like a pro, and pulling it all together into a finished song. Across five hands-on workshops (Sept 7–Oct 5), you’ll explore the art and science of making music, with practical tools and creative techniques you can apply on any instrument. Perfect for beginners and hobbyists ready to bring their musical ideas to life!

Sept 7: Music Theory Crash Course
Get comfy with the building blocks of music. We’ll start with the basics of harmony—what it is and why it matters—then dive into how to choose chords that go well together, build progressions that fit a specific mood, and make multiple instruments agree harmonically. You’ll also learn how to extend and translate chords across different instruments and keys. By the end, you’ll walk away with practical tools to turn musical ideas into something real—on any instrument.

Sept 15: Synthesizer Sound Design
Explore the world of synthesizers and learn how to make sense of all those controls. We’ll cover the basics of what a synthesizer is, explore the physics of sound through synthesis, and take a quick look at the history of keyboard instruments and different schools of synth development. You’ll get hands-on practice creating a new sound from scratch, learning how to shape timbre to elicit a specific mood—and how to apply these ideas to other instruments, too. Perfect for anyone curious about sound shaping and sonic identity.
Sept 22: Rhythm & Drum Programming
What makes a groove groove? We’ll explore how different musical styles are defined by their tempo and signature rhythms, and trace a brief history of electronic, dance, and hip hop production through drum machines, sequencers, and samplers. You’ll get hands-on practice creating drum and rhythm tracks in software, choosing and manipulating drum sounds, and experimenting with sequencing. We’ll also take a look at the art of sampling and how it shapes modern music.

Sept 28: Basics of Recording
Plug in and press record! Learn about the essential equipment and software needed to make clean, effective recordings—whether you’re using microphones or direct-input instruments like electric guitars and hardware synthesizers. We’ll cover key technical details such as mic placement, software settings, phantom power, and checking levels, then take a deeper dive into recording techniques and creative approaches that can elevate your sound. Along the way, we’ll explore a brief history of recording technology and practices, and experiment with what can be done with your recordings—like doubling, overdubbing, special effect plugins, and direct manipulation of audio.

Oct 5: Putting It All Together (aka Making a Song)
Let’s bring it all home! In this capstone workshop, you’ll use everything learned throughout the series to actually create songs or beats. We’ll take a short loop and arrange it into a fully structured track with unique sections, add a lead vocal or melody line, and layer on the special sauce with automation and master effects. By the end of the night, you’ll have a finished piece to share at our celebratory listening party—an inspiring way to showcase your new skills and creativity.

Age: 16+ (if younger, please email info@decaturmakers.org)

REGISTER AT DECATURMAKERS.ORG

The Arduino/Raspberry Pi User’s Group meets monthly on the first Monday at the space starting at 7pm. There is no membership and anyone can join us at any time.

Although it’s called the Arduino/Raspberry Pi group, it consists of anyone interested in using or learning about what Charles aptly coined as “Tiny Computers”. That could be an Arduino to make a doggy treat dispenser, ESP32’s for home automation or even image recognition on a Pi to identify and then discourage the neighbor’s cat from chasing birds. Anything you can imagine that uses a tiny computer that you build and program…

We hope to have a monthly talk/presentation on topics of interest to the group. Might be a demonstration of a cool new project or maybe an educational talk on some technology such as options for powering your projects (solar? battery?) or low power techniques.

Come join us and see what’s happening in the world of tiny computers

REGISTER AT DECATURMAKERS.ORG
We host Open Build Nights on Wednesdays from 7-9 PM, except the first Wednesday of the month (reserved for members-only meetings). During this time, our space is free and open to the public, so come take a tour!
Open Build Night is a great time to bring questions about Decatur Makers, tour our makerspace, and meet others who have the same passion.
If you would like to work on a project, please let us know some details beforehand by registering for the event. Certain tools and pieces of equipment are restricted for use and require the assistance of a trained volunteer. We endeavor to have volunteers available, but it is not always possible to work on or complete all projects.
This is for makers of all ages, skill sets, and interests.
We look forward to seeing you there!

SEE DETAILS AT DECATURMAKERS.ORG

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Don't have a 3D printer of your own but interested?
You have a 3D printer but you're still finding your way around?
Got a project you're working on?
Got tips & tricks to share?
Problems troubling you?
This is the meet up for you
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