- Home
- Your Government
- DEPARTMENTS
- Essex Rec
- Programs
- Adult Recreation
Adult Recreation
Dog/Puppy Essentials
We’re busy people. We’ve got other priorities. Dog training can feel like One. More. Thing. But, you want a dog you can live with, be proud of, and about which others glowingly remark “What a great dog!” This class shows you how to have a happy, confident, well-behaved dog. It consists of 3 important skills: practical straight-up obedience (don’t drag me down the street, come when I call, etc.), life skills (don’t jump on my friends, chill out, etc.), and understanding your dog’s body language.
Instructor: Deb Helfrich, Gold Star Dog Training
18+ | Memorial Hall
Sat, January 9-February 13 | 10:00-11:00 AM or
Mon, January 11-February 15 | 6:00-7:00 PM or
Sat, February 27-April 3 | 10:00-11:00 AM or
Mon, March 8-April 12 | 6:00-7:00 PM or
Sat, April 24-May 29 | 10:00-11:00 AM or
Mon, May 10-June 14 | 6:00-7:00 PM
$165
This class is a pre-requisite for Therapy Dog Academy class.
Therapy Dog Academy
Prerequisite: Permission from the instructor or prior participation in a Gold Star class.
So, your dog wants to be a therapy dog? Well, we’ve got a course for that! This 6-week course gives dogs and handlers the necessary skills for not only passing the test but also for working successfully as a therapy dog team.
18+ | Memorial Hall
Sat, January 9-February 13 | 11:15-12:15 PM or
Mon, March 8-April 12 | 7:15-8:15 PM or
Sat, April 24-May 29 | 11:15-12:15 PM
$185.00
Beyond Basic Dog Obedience
This class takes your training to the next level. What's the next level? Well, that's the beauty of this class- you decide! Like many exercise classes that show you various intensity levels of a given exercise, this class shows you the basic, intermediate, and advanced version of each exercise. The emphasis is on what you want to achieve with your dog within the exercises we teach, and then giving you the instruction and proper exercises to achieve your goals. Instructor: Deb Helfrich, Gold Star Dog Training
18+ | Memorial Hall
Mon, January 11-February 8 | 7:15-8:15 PM or
Sat, February 27-March 27 | 11:15-12:15 PM or
Mon, May 10-June 7 | 7:15-8:15 PM
$150.00
Level 2 Ukulele
Delve into various techniques to improve strumming, moving smoothly among chords, and playing well with others. You'll pick up some tricks and tips that will help make you a stronger, more confident player.
18+ | Online
Tue, January 5 - 26 | 11AM-12PM or
Thu, January 7 - 28 | 3:30-4:30PM or
Thu, February 11- March 4 | 10:30-11:30AM
$45.00
Clare Innes
Ukulele Fingerpicking Workshop
In this 3-week course, you'll learn a variety of fingerpicking patterns, including 1- 2- 3- and 4-finger rolls, frails, and walk-downs. We'll work on tunes from a variety of genres, including folk, pop, Celtic, bluegrass, and classical.
18+ | Online
Sat, January 9-23 | 4-5 PM or
Mon, February 8-22 | 3:30-4:30PM
$35.00
Clare Innes
Ukulele Skill Builder Sessions
These workshops offer a deep dive into specific techniques. It will really help if you can play chords in the Key of C (C, Am, F, G7), the Key of G (G, C, D, Em), and the Key of A (A, D, E7, F#m [which is easier than it looks!]) with relative ease, and are able to maintain a regular strum.
18+ | Online
Clare Innes
• Learn Christmas Children's Songs
If you play the ukulele and have young'uns in your life, ya gotta learn some seasonal and thematic songs for kids, whether you're Facetiming or Zooming or, best of all, in person - especially when the holidays are barreling into view. We'll work on a handful of songs in each class and you'll come away with a nice roster of songs you can play so the kiddos can sing and dance along.
Mon, December 14 | 6:30-7:30 PM or
Thu, December 17 | 11 AM-12 PM
$7.00
• Sing & Play Tune-Up
You may have learned how to play the ukulele but still feel that you could use more focus on coordinating strumming and singing. We'll use the basic down-up and shuffle strums on familiar songs to build coordination and confidence.
Mon, January 5 - 19 | 3:30-4:30PM
$35.00
• Find Your Groove: Focus on right-hand technique
Bored with your same ol' strum? Synch your strum in fresh ways to your favorite folk, rock, country, swing, and blues tunes. Singer-songwriter Rebecca Padula will join us in this 4-week class as we explore strumming strategies and right-hand technique.
Thu, January 7 -28| 6:30-7:30 PM
$45.00
• Learn A Song By Heart
It's not as hard as you may think to learn a song by heart. Learn a few techniques that you can apply to any song and you'll be playing without song sheets in no time. You don't HAVE to give up your song sheets - these techniques also help you play more smoothly even if you never give 'em up.
Tue, February 9-23 | 3:30-4:30 PM
$25.00
• Everyone's Irish on St. Patrick's Day!
We'll practice playing some Irish favorites, learning new chords, and get that quintessential 6/8 Celtic timing down pat. Wet your whistle with your favorite Irish whiskey or brew and we'll have a lark of a time!
Thu, February 25 - March 11 | 6:30-7:30PM
$25.00
Harmonica for Beginners
We'll focus on learning to play melodies, bending notes, getting different tones, and spontaneously bursting into song! We work with harmonicas in the Key of C. Other keys won't work with class materials.
18+ | Online
Thu, January 7-21 | 10:30-11:30AM or
Sat, January 9-23 | 4-5 PM or
Tue, February 9-23 | 10:30-11:30AM
$30.00
Clare Innes