Family Music Class presented by Blue House Music and Art Camp 504 is an immersive music experience for infant, toddler and Pre-K age children along with their caregivers. The infant and toddler class focuses on early language development, especially phonemic sound, and gross motor development  from crawling and first steps to finger-walking and motoring around. The class teaches eye tracking, attention, and connection with the caregiver. Through singing, movement and instrument play children will experience rich learning in key developmental domains while caregivers gain powerful tools to communicate with their little ones. Blue House Music is an early learning program for children under five that empowers caregivers to actively participate in music making.

Class begins promptly at 4:30pm. Please arrive around 4:15 to get settled before class. We encourage families to play at Markey Park or visit Pizza Delicious after class ends! We love making new friends!

DROP IN passes are available for $30/session. Pay via venmo @artcamp504, cashapp $artcamp504, or cash at arrival

MEET THE TEACHER:

CHRISTOPHER “MR. CHRIS” SHEARD (he/him) is a music teacher and teaching artist with over fifteen years in the field of early childhood music. He has been certified in Music Together, Wolf Trap Early Learning Through the Arts and the Young Audiences National Teaching Artist Credential. He is the founder of Blue House Music, a direct-to-family early learning music program that serves children under five and their caregivers. He currently works as the lower school music teacher at The McGehee School for Girls and Little Gate. He is a Bywater resident, father of two, and is so excited to join the Art Camp 504 team!

This class is perfect for students eager to explore visual arts across a variety of mediums. Over the course of the semester, students will work with Art Camp 504 teaching artists to develop skills in illustration, drawing fundamentals, watercolor techniques, mixed media collage, sculpture, and more. Projects include costume pieces, clay figurines and minatures, textured prints and more. Our goal is to nurture a love of art and creativity in our youngest artists! With a small group format, this class allows for individual attention and flexibility—projects are often guided by student interests and feedback to ensure an engaging and personalized experience.

This introductory class is designed for young artists that want to explore and build their technical drawing skills. The curriculum explores fine art techniques such as line work, perspective, shading, and composition. Students will develop their observational skills and artistic vocabulary, from line and form to understanding light, shadow and color theory. We explore a variety of mediums including graphite, charcoal, oil pastels, watercolor paint and ink. With a focus on fostering creativity and confidence, this class provides a supportive environment where each child can discover their unique artistic voice and cultivate a lifelong passion for drawing. 

All supplies are included with class tuition. If students already keep a sketchbook, we encourage them to bring it to class.

Teen Improv Club is a high-energy, interactive class where young performers can explore the world of improv comedy. Whether they’re natural jokesters or just curious about trying something new, this class is designed to help students build confidence, sharpen their wit, and find their unique comedic voice—no experience required! Through engaging exercises, students will learn the essentials of comedic timing, improvisation, and stage presence—all while having an absolute blast! By the end of the course, they’ll leave with a solid grasp of comedy fundamentals and the confidence to apply humor in any creative field. The semester culminates in a family performance at Big Couch Nola!

BEHAVIOR EXPECTATIONS: Students are expected to follow our troupe guidelines: Listen actively when others are performing, Wait your turn and respect the flow of the activity, Follow the rules of each game or exercise. 

Improv is all about collaboration. Students must be able to work respectfully and cooperatively with everyone in the troupe.

We understand that not every student may be ready for this kind of group work. If a student’s behavior becomes disruptive or negatively impacts the experience for others, we reserve the right to remove them from the class.

This class is in partnership with Big Couch Nola. Some classes, and the final performance, will be held in the Big Couch theater (located a few blocks from the Tigermen Den) More info coming soon! 

FINAL PERFORMANCE: Tuesday, Dec 9, 5:45 - 6:45pm

MEET THE INSTRUCTOR:

Mary Jacobs is a local comedian and Improv educator from New Orleans, Louisiana. She’s trained and taught across America, including and education from infamous Second City in Chicago. Her passion for educating youth in the comedic arts is no joke and believes comedy can connect us to our humanity and community in a deep (and silly) way. In addition to her experience as an educator she can be found across stages in New Orleans as a comedian, host, and MC. She is so looking forward to the opportunity to foster the next generation of jesters here in New Orleans. Mary currently works with Big Couch Nola - a creative incubator that produces standup & sketch comedy, theater productions, drag, film, music and more!

Family Music Class presented by Blue House Music and Art Camp 504 is an immersive music experience for infant, toddler and Pre-K age children along with their caregivers. The infant and toddler class focuses on early language development, especially phonemic sound, and gross motor development  from crawling and first steps to finger-walking and motoring around. The class teaches eye tracking, attention, and connection with the caregiver. Through singing, movement and instrument play children will experience rich learning in key developmental domains while caregivers gain powerful tools to communicate with their little ones. Blue House Music is an early learning program for children under five that empowers caregivers to actively participate in music making.

Class begins promptly at 4:30pm. Please arrive around 4:15 to get settled before class. We encourage families to play at Markey Park or visit Pizza Delicious after class ends! We love making new friends!

DROP IN passes are available for $30/session. Pay via venmo @artcamp504, cashapp $artcamp504, or cash at arrival

MEET THE TEACHER:

CHRISTOPHER “MR. CHRIS” SHEARD (he/him) is a music teacher and teaching artist with over fifteen years in the field of early childhood music. He has been certified in Music Together, Wolf Trap Early Learning Through the Arts and the Young Audiences National Teaching Artist Credential. He is the founder of Blue House Music, a direct-to-family early learning music program that serves children under five and their caregivers. He currently works as the lower school music teacher at The McGehee School for Girls and Little Gate. He is a Bywater resident, father of two, and is so excited to join the Art Camp 504 team!