Music Workshops and Classes

Private Lessons

Private lessons by Ancient Future leader Matthew Montfort are available covering all of the material in the classes and workshops on this site as well as all styles of guitar. Online lessons are offered via Skype, Zoom, and other conferencing services. Online lessons have proven very effective for teaching repertoire, theory, and world music traditions, and are especially valuable for evaluating technique as camera angles can provide close up information not easily obtained in an in-person lesson. While it is not easy to play duets via video conferencing services due to the audio delay, Matthew Montfort has developed a technique where he plays with a metronome and disregards the delay coming from the student's performance. The student experiences a duet without latency. There are other workarounds using overdubbing techniques on online recording platforms, and they have the advantage of allowing the student to practice with the duet recording.

Workshops and Classes

What you will learn if you attend one of the world rhythm workshops? Find out in this world rhythm training presentation of African, Balinese and Indian rhythm exercises. Increase your rhythmic skills by learning world rhythms! Taught by Matthew Montfort of Ancient Future, from his book Ancient Traditions -- Future Possibilities: Rhythmic Training Through the Traditions of Africa, Bali and India.

Matthew Montfort teaches guitar and world beat workshops online, in person in Sonoma County, and as special events during his national and international concert tours. His Got Rhythm? world beat workshop utilizes African polyrhythms, Balinese kotèkan, and Indian tala to highlight the major types of rhythmic organization used in most of the world's music. Workshops on the melodic aspects of the traditions are also available.

To celebrate opening Ancient Future Studios in Sonoma County, a series of free introductory in person music workshops is being offered at the Cloverdale Arts Alliance in Northern Sonoma County. For those not in Northern California, a separate set of free workshops will be held online.

Wednesday, February 21, 2024, 7 to 7:45 PM, Beginning Guitar with Matthew Montfort, Cloverdale Arts Alliance, 204 N. Cloverdale Boulevard, Cloverdale, CA 95425. Introductory workshop: FREE. Ongoing classes: $150 for six more weeks. Sign up: info@cloverdaleartsalliance.org. Online versions sign up: info@ancient-future.com. Press Release. This workshop can help aspiring guitarists get started on the right track with good practice habits. The six week course features simple pieces chosen according to student preferences. For those who don't have a guitar yet, a few electric and acoustic guitars are available with the purchase of an initial set of private lessons.
Wednesday, February 28, 2024, 7:00 to 7:45 PM, Music Theory on the Fretboard with Matthew Montfort, Cloverdale Arts Alliance, 204 N. Cloverdale Boulevard, Cloverdale, CA 95425. Introductory workshop: FREE. Ongoing classes: $150 for six more weeks. Sign up: info@cloverdaleartsalliance.org. Online versions sign up: info@ancient-future.com. Press Release. This workshop opens the door to exploring music theory on the guitar fretboard. The six week course covers notes up the fretboard on each string, keys, intervals, modes, and chord construction.
Wednesday, February 28, 2024, 7:45 to 8:30 PM, Rise Above Reliance on TAB: Learn to Read Music by Studying Classical Guitar Techniquewith Matthew Montfort, Cloverdale Arts Alliance, 204 N. Cloverdale Boulevard, Cloverdale, CA 95425. Introductory workshop: FREE. Ongoing classes: $150 for six more weeks. Sign up: info@cloverdaleartsalliance.org. Online versions sign up: info@ancient-future.com. Press Release. Guitarists are often good at reading TAB, but poor at reading sheet music. This workshop gets students started learning to read standard music notation, while at the same time introducing foundational classical guitar technique. The six week course features simple etudes and classical pieces that are great for boosting fingerstyle skills while actually bringing fun to learning to read music!
Wednesday, March 6, 2024, 7 to 7:45 PM, Got Rhythm? Get the Beats of Africa, Bali, and India with Matthew Montfort, Cloverdale Arts Alliance, 204 N. Cloverdale Boulevard, Cloverdale, CA 95425. Introductory workshop: FREE. Ongoing classes: $150 for six more weeks. Sign up: info@cloverdaleartsalliance.org. Online versions sign up: info@ancient-future.com. Press Release. Not just for musicians and percussionists, this training can help anyone with a desire to improve their rhythm skills. The workshop is open to all levels, and no musical background is required. Very simple to play percussion instruments will be provided, and participants are free to bring any percussive instrument they enjoy playing.
Wednesday, June 12, 2024, 7 to 7:45 PM, Beginning Guitar with Matthew Montfort, Cloverdale Arts Alliance, 204 N. Cloverdale Boulevard, Cloverdale, CA 95425. This free 45 minute introductory beginning workshop can help aspiring guitarists get started on the right track with good practice habits. Sign up: lessons@matthewmontfort.com. Press Release.
Wednesday, June 12, 2024, 7:45 to 8:30 PM, Intermediate Guitar with Matthew Montfort, Cloverdale Arts Alliance, 204 N. Cloverdale Boulevard, Cloverdale, CA 95425. This free 45 minute workshop explores exercises, music notation, theory, and popular repertoire. Sign up: lessons@matthewmontfort.com. Press Release.
Wednesday, June 19, 2024 (Juneteenth), 7 to 8 PM, Got Rhythm? Get the Beats of Africa, Bali, and India World Rhythms Workshop with Matthew Montfort, Cloverdale Arts Alliance, 204 N. Cloverdale Boulevard, Cloverdale, CA 95425. Not just for percussionists, this free workshop can help any musician, singer, dancer, or music lover improve their rhythmic skills. No musical background is required. Very simple to play percussion instruments will be provided, and participants are free to bring an instrument. Sign up: lessons@matthewmontfort.com. Press Release.
Wednesday, October 16, 2024, 7 to 7:45 PM, Beginning Guitar, 7:45 to 8:30 PM, Intermediate Guitar, Cloverdale Arts Alliance, 204 N. Cloverdale Boulevard, Cloverdale, CA 95425. Matthew Montfort is holding two 45-minute free in-person guitar workshops. At 7 PM, an introductory beginning workshop helps aspiring guitarists get started on the right track with good practice habits. At 7:45 PM, an intermediate guitar workshop explores exercises, music notation, theory, and popular repertoire. Sign up: lessons@matthewmontfort.com. Press Release. Facebook Event.
Wednesday, November 6, 2024, 7 to 9 PM, Cloverdale Arts Alliance, 204 N. Cloverdale Boulevard, Cloverdale, CA 95425.A series of six guitar weekly classes tailored to the individual goals of workshop participants starts on November 6, 2024, at the Cloverdale Arts Alliance in Sonoma County. The intermediate workshop explores exercises, music notation, theory, and popular repertoire, and includes three ongoing students. The beginning workshop helps aspiring guitarists get started on the right track with good practice habits. The cost is $150 for six weeks. To sign up for the workshops, email lessons@matthewmontfort.com. Press Release.

Posters (Click to Download .pdf)


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