The Angry Waiter

There are few things I’ve done in my adult life (or any other part of my life for that matter) that have brought me as much fun, fulfillment and satisfaction as taking guitar lessons at The Old Town School of Folk Music.

Now, don’t let the name “Old Town School of Folk Music” scare you away. Though the original school was founded fifty years ago in Old Town, I take classes at the Lincoln Square location.

As far as “Folk” is concerned, folk is taught here and is still a part of the curriculum, but not really in the group classes. The music I’ve been learning since day one (I’ve been going there for about seven months now) has been Wilco, The Ramones, The Beatles, Bowie, Ani DiFranco, Greenday, Nirvana and a slew of other artists I love.

Acoustic guitar classes now cost $160 for an eight week session, but if you join more than a week before classes begin, you receive a $15 discount. If you buy a basic membership (this is NOT required) for $50, you receive an additional discount of $10 dollars. I don’t have a membership yet, but even at $145 this place is a great bargain.

I’ve only taken acoustic guitar group lessons here, but Old Town also offers private lessons for those of you wanting one-on-one training. However, if you’re thinking you’ll learn more going it alone, you may want to reconsider. Group lessons last longer (an hour and 40 minutes) than private lessons (between a half hour and an hour depending on your preference) and other students often raise questions you never even thought to ask. Also, I’ve picked up a lot of tips from other students.

If a tight schedule is your concern, Old Town offers morning, afternoon, early evening, mid-evening and weekend classes. And, if you only have time for class but no time to practice, it really doesn’t matter here. Sure, everyone hopes you’ll find time to practice in between classes, but the attitude of the instructors is that if you only play for an hour and 40 minutes a week in class and that’s it, well, that’s better than not playing at all.

Additionally, this school understands that as adults we get busy. So, if you miss your scheduled class, fear not, you can just show up on another night and take the same class. No questions, no forms to fill out, no hassles.

If your age is your rationalization for not learning an instrument or learning to sing or dance, if you’re worried you’ll be the oldest one there, you’ll have to come up with another excuse. While most of the students in the 8 p.m. classes are in their 20’s and 30’s, not all are. In fact, there are students of all ages here and the ones in their 60’s and beyond are perhaps the coolest. I mean, it’s pretty cool when a 65-year-old woman picks up a guitar and starts jamming Oasis tunes.

After the evening classes any student who wishes can go to the auditorium and play in a jam session dubbed “The Second Half.” It really only lasts a half hour, but it’s a great 30 minutes. Here, students from all the different levels of guitar class gather to play usually three songs from the Old Town music book and then two songs chosen each week by a different teacher. These two songs are called the “Twin Spin” as it consists of one piece of paper with a different song on each side. The songs are almost always contemporary rock songs. This is a big selling point as far as I’m concerned because it’s a great way to build your music collection. The value of the music you get each week easily offsets the price of the class.

And, if you like, you can go to as many second half sessions as you want, even if you don’t have class that night. You can even go if you’re not a student, the public is encouraged to show with a guitar and play.

Old Town offers a whole lot more than guitar. They offer classes in dance, theater, yoga, a ton of classes for kids - babies through teens - specialty classes and even ensemble classes for anyone who wants to play in a band regardless of experience level.

And then there are the concerts. The 400-seat auditorium is one of the best places to see international and national acts. The shows are affordable and hosted in a very intimate setting.

There is a cafe that sells food, coffee drinks, and yes, beer and wine.

If you’re interested in finally learning to play an instrument, if you just want to get out of the house once a week, maybe meet some people with similar interests, then The Old Town School of Folk Music is worth checking out. I can’t possibly express in a written review just how much I love this place. I guess you’ll just have to come hear me play sometime.

The Old Town School of Folk Music - 4544 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chicago, IL - 773-728-6000