Beyonce’s beloved Cowboy Carter album and the buzzy Ryan Coogler movie Sinners have people obsessing over guitars.
Now, North Texans can learn the instrument themselves – for free.
Starting on Aug. 6, North Texans can swing by the Deep Ellum Community Center for guitar classes taught by musicians Jess Garland and Kierra Gray Thomas.
Garland said it was important to bring the classes to Deep Ellum, which was a cultural hub for jazz and blues artists in the 20th century and was formerly a freedmen’s town after the Civil War.
She said much of “the legacy of Black folks’ contributions to American culture happened in Deep Ellum.”
Classes are open to North Texans ages 8 and up from all experience levels. Students won’t just learn the chords to Bob Marley’s “Redemption Song,” they’ll also learn about music history and contributions of Black artists in the U.S. and Texas.
“It was important for me that these classes are led by Black women because we often get excluded from discussions with American music,” Garland said. “So we'll get a chance to talk about Texas blues legends like Barbara Lynn, people like Sister Rosetta Tharpe as well as Big Mama Thornton and Elizabeth Cotten.”
Garland also hopes the classes help students reflect.
“I want them to learn more about themselves, because it is a way to express yourself but it's also a way to tell a story,” she said.
Garland’s nonprofit Swan Strings is providing the free classes with support from the Dallas Office of Arts and Culture. A limited number of guitars will be available first-come, first-serve and students can also bring their own guitars.
Details: Starting Aug. 6 on Wednesdays and Fridays from 5-6 p.m., Deep Ellum Community Center for the next eight weeks.
