Home Calendar Donate Register Pay Bill E-News Contact Search

Creativity Lab

Welcome to Hochstein's Creativity Lab!

Have you always dreamt of writing music, making visual art, or writing stories, but find yourself intimidated by the act of creation? Well, here’s your chance to discover that creativity is a skill that can be cultivated and practiced like any other skill! Hochstein’s Creativity Lab is dedicated to exploring a variety of creative practices and cultivating the next generation of makers and innovators.

Hochstein’s Creativity Lab will offer lessons and workshops focusing on fundamentals like music theory, the basics of drawing, or the essential elements of improvisation. Beyond that, more advanced studies include subjects such as making comic books and graphic novels, composing music in a variety of styles, advanced songwriting/demoing, and advanced jazz improvisation.

If you are looking to explore a topic not listed here, please reach out and ask. Hochstein also offers Independent Study on a variety of topics. Mastery of one discipline tends to effectively ease open doors into other disciplines.

Lessons or classes in the Creativity Lab can also give students a much-needed outlet for self-discovery, providing a safe space for students to find their own personal means of healthy expression.

- Dr. Dave Chisholm, Director

Creativity Lab Open Hours

Tuesdays, 4:00-6:00 pm
Saturdays, 9:30-10:30 am

Drop in and try out the space or discuss your big creative ideas. Additional hours available by appointment – just ask: dave.chisholm@hochstein.org

About the Creativity Lab

Hochstein’s Creativity Lab is outfitted with 8 linked iMac computers with piano keyboards, plus the teacher station. On the computers, students will be able to access music notation and digital audio workstation applications that easily adapt to just about every genre of music.

Throughout the school year, Dave Chisholm will host monthly Saturday afternoon pop-up events, ranging from easy group creativity challenges to fun, pop-culture-centric lectures.

Short-run workshops – one or two sessions max – offer another opportunity to explore your creativity on a specific topic.

There are also open lab hours where you can drop in and try out the space or discuss your big creative ideas with Dave.

See the schedule of pop-up events and workshops below. For more information about our year-round Music Theory classes, click here.

Pop-Up: How to Listen to Music 11/23

Saturday, November 23, 2024; 1:00-2:30 pm; free
Ages 12 to adult; Limit: 12
To sign up, call 585.454.4596 or stop by the Hochstein Front Office to be added to the list.

You might see this title and think to yourself, “This is stupid – listening to music is easy!” Hochstein Creativity Lab Director Dave Chisholm concedes that hearing music is pretty easy, but really listening? That’s a whole different thing – and most people are missing out on a veritable universe of wonders hiding beneath the surface of the world of music. So, take a chance, show up, and we will find different ways to listen to music, new aspects of music to listen for, a new courage in listening to music that challenges you – and you’ll walk away with a newfound sense of wonder about this massive, and oft misunderstood, part of human expression.

Workshop: Making Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga 12/7 & 12/14

Saturday, December 7 & December 14, 2024; 1:00-2:30 pm; $30
Recommended for ages 12 and up; Limit: 8
Click here to register or call 585.454.4596.

Join award-winning comic artist and graphic novelist Dave Chisholm on a step-by-step journey into the world of making comics, graphic novels, and manga! In this workshop, students will concoct their own story outlines, write their own short scripts, and finally make their own comic pages, giving an exciting look into this popular field! If any students feel intimidated by story outlines and scripting, Dave will provide a sample script for the class so they can get right to drawing! Students are encouraged to bring their own drawing equipment – no liquid media, please.

Workshop: Making Comics, Graphic Novels, and Manga 12/7 & 12/14

Pop-Up: Write One Song! 1/11

Saturday, January 11, 2025; 1:00-2:30 pm; free
Recommended for ages 13 and up; Limit: 12
To sign up, call 585.454.4596 or stop by the Hochstein Front Office to be added to the list.

A lot of us dream of writing songs but struggle with follow through. Maybe there’s too much pressure to make something PERFECT, maybe there’s not enough time to get started, or maybe we just don’t know what the heck to write a song about! In this 90m popup class, singer-songwriter Dave Chisholm will walk students through the craft of simply writing ONE song – from lyrics to chords, from melody to overall structure – giving YOU a clear and friendly road into the world of songwriting! Students are encouraged to bring an instrument to this session!

Workshop: Writing Songs and Making Beats 1/25 & 2/1

Saturday, January 25 & February 1, 2025; 1:00-2:30 pm; $30
Recommended for ages 10 and up; Limit: 8
Click here to register or call 585.454.4596.

In this class, students will work in Hochstein’s Creativity Lab on projects created by Lab Director Dave Chisholm to provide a step-by-step process into the world of composing various types of music. We’ll work with loops, we’ll practice writing melodies, and we will even explore the possibilities of writing music for cartoons and movies. Students will be working on the computers in the lab, so no additional equipment is necessary!

Workshop: Writing Songs and Making Beats 1/25 & 2/1

Pop-Up: Mini-Comic Workshop 2/22

Saturday, February 22, 2025; 1:00-2:30 pm; free
All ages; Limit: 12
To sign up, call 585.454.4596 or stop by the Hochstein Front Office to be added to the list.

Beginners welcome! Join Creativity Lab Director and acclaimed comic artist Dave Chisholm in a crash course at making your own short mini-comic. The mini-comic tradition is an open door for all skill levels and any type of story. At the end of this 90-minute class, you’ll have created your own mini-comic and opened the door to a new means of self-expression. Please bring a pencil and any other favorite drawing utensils. Paper will be provided.

Workshop: How to Draw People Without Feeling Bad About Yourself 3/8 & 3/15

Saturday, March 8 & March 15, 2025; 1:00-2:30 pm; $30
Recommended for ages 15 and up; Limit: 8
Click here to register or call 585.454.4596.

We can all agree that drawing is cool – but so many of us get stuck in the mindset that the ability to draw is a “talent,” when, in fact, it is simply a learnable skill. Join award-winning comic artist Dave Chisholm in this two-class workshop in which we’ll dive into the world of drawing something we all see every single day: People! We’ll talk about form and structure, we’ll talk about learning to really SEE without bias, and we’ll practice drawing people over and over again. On March 8, we’ll focus on drawing the head and face, and on March 15 we’ll focus on drawing people full-figure.

Workshop: How to Draw People Without Feeling Bad About Yourself 3/8 & 3/15