Join local musician and library staff member Kristofer Petross as he demonstrates the how-tos of playing the drums. Participate in exercises exploring the basics of a drum kit, different drum styles, and how to keep tempo. 

Join us at 4:30 p.m. Friday, March 11, in the 970West Studio, 502 Ouray Ave., Grand Junction, across the street from the Central Library. Registration is NOT required to attend.

Jill Burkey is a poet, writer, and editor living on the Western Slope of Colorado. In her poems, which circle around the themes of nature, relationships, history, and spirituality, Jill explores the larger existential questions of humanity and makes connections between life, the natural world, and the passage of time. We are delighted to have Jill as our Mesa County Libraries Artist in Residence now through April 18.

OverDrive is phasing out the aging OverDrive app, which was introduced more than 10 years ago, and is asking users to migrate to the Libby app. Libby is an OverDrive product that is specifically designed as a more modern, versatile app that has more user-friendly functionality than the OverDrive app that it is replacing. 

This news affects only users of the OverDrive app for mobile devices and e-readers. Patrons who use the Mesa County Libraries website to check out ebooks will still access the library’s digital OverDrive collection in the same way they always have.

Take the first step toward using the 970West Studio. Orientation classes last an hour. Registration is NOT required.

Studio Q&A takes place during the following times:

Learn about the fundamentals of modern sound recording. Discuss waveforms, proper gain staging, and converting audio signals from the analog to the digital domain and back!

We will help you understand sample rates and bit depth in digital recording. We will also examine microphone types, their frequency response, sensitivity, polar patterns, and common uses. Common cable types and connections are also covered.

Fundamental Audio Concepts takes place at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 3. Seating is limited and registration is required.

Introduction to Video Editing takes place at 6 p.m. Monday, March 7. Seating is limited, and registration is required.

Digital Photography takes place at 10 a.m. Tuesday, March 8. Seating is limited, and registration is required.

Beat Makers Workshop takes place at 9 a.m. Friday, March 11.

Intro to Green Screen & Chroma Key takes place at 10:30 a.m. Saturday, March 12. Seating is limited, and registration is required.

Learn how to digitize your art to create high resolution photos of your artwork. Patrons interested in this class need to have some knowledge of DSLR camera settings including ISO, Aperture, and Shutter Speed. Attend the Digital Photography class if you need to learn these skills.

Art Digitization takes place at 6 p.m. Monday, March 14. Seating is limited, and registration is required.

Mac OS Basics takes place at 10 a.m. Thursday, March 17. Seating is limited and registration is required.

Logic Pro X is a popular, user-friendly DAW (digital audio workstation) that became a major creative force with its recent update.

Intro to Logic Pro takes place at 10 a.m. Friday, March 18. Seating is limited, and registration is required.

In this introductory class, we will cover the Photoshop workspace and basic tools. Participants will follow along with the instructor while using Photoshop brushes, selection tools, and layers to create a postcard-sized work of original digital art.

This course is ongoing -- bring your questions, requests, ideas for future art projects, and please keep coming back to continue learning.

Digital Illustration with Photoshop takes place at 6 p.m. Monday, March 21. Seating is limited, and registration is required.

Pro Tools Recording takes place at 1 p.m. Tuesday, March 22. Seating is limited, and registration is required.

This class will cover the basics of in-studio portrait photography. Basic DSLR skills are a prerequisite. We will learn the basics of studio lighting and shading and capturing that perfect portrait. After this class, you will be able to check out the library’s available Canon cameras and even use the studio space to take your own portraits!

Portrait Photography takes place at 6 p.m. Thursday, March 24. Seating is limited, and registration is required.

Let’s get weird! Are the beats and bass lines of traditional beat making a bit too structured for you? Are you searching for a sound, your own sound, that doesn’t live on today’s popular playlists? Come to an Audio Alchemy session and explore some experimental soundscapes with us!

We’ll primarily use Alchemy, a sound module included with Logic Pro X, but other ingredients like real-world sampling and DAWless knob-twisting are definitely on the menu. A basic knowledge of Mac OS and music production is strongly recommended. Attend multiple times for best results!

Audio Alchemy takes place at 10 a.m. Friday, March 25. Seating is limited, and registration is required.

Intro to Podcasting takes place at 10 a.m. Wednesday, March 30. Seating is limited, and registration is required.

Additional technology resources are available on our Technology Guide: Tutorials and Classes page. There you will find printable class handouts, basic tech help for your computer or mobile device, and a selection of tutorials. Still not finding what you're looking for? Fill out a Book a Librarian form to receive one-on-one instruction for your tech-related topic.

Doctor Frizzlehaire has a new creative prompt for you! This month Frizzlehaire wants you to make the complete opposite of one of your favorite songs. If your favorite song is uplifting and fast, make something dark and slow.

Follow @970west_studio on Instagram for weekly posts about all things 970West Studio. We share gear updates, local band highlights, video releases, and creative prompts from Doctor Frizzlehaire!