Band Lab – Youth Band Program in Eugene OR
Join Pavilanis School of Music this summer or fall for Band Lab, an exciting 10-week youth band program in Eugene, OR for students ages 8–18. Students experience what it’s like to play in a real band while building musical skills, confidence, and collaboration in a fun and supportive environment.
Discover the Joy of Making Music Together
Play in a Real Band
Join our vibrant community where students come together to rehearse weekly, learning popular songs and experiencing the thrill of playing in a real band. It’s a hands-on, collaborative adventure filled with energy and teamwork.
Build Confidence & Skills
Our program is designed to help students enhance their musical abilities, focusing on timing, listening, and stage presence. We provide a supportive environment for beginners to intermediate players to grow as musicians.
Perform Live on Stage
Conclude your musical journey with a live performance for family and friends in our new performance space. Experience the excitement and confidence of a real concert, showcasing your hard work and talent.
What is Band Lab?
We are excited to launch Band Lab, a new collaborative music program running this summer and continuing into the 2026–27 school year. Students do not need to be enrolled in private lessons at Pavilanis School of Music to participate, so feel free to share this opportunity with musical friends who may be interested.
To join the interest list, please fill out the contact form and mention “Band Lab.”
Students rehearse in small groups of 4–6 musicians based on age and experience. Bands may include guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, vocals, woodwinds, brass, strings, percussion, and more. Each group meets once per week for 70–90 minute rehearsals. Together, students learn and perform popular music while developing timing, listening, and ensemble skills.
Along the way, students explore important musical concepts such as song structure, groove, dynamics, and stage presence. The program also encourages creativity through improvisation, optional songwriting, and arranging activities. Students have opportunities to contribute their own musical ideas and collaborate with their bandmates.
At the end of the 10 weeks, each band performs live for family and friends in PSM’s new performance space. The final concert gives students real performance experience while celebrating all the work they accomplished together throughout the program.
Band Lab welcomes beginner and intermediate musicians and adapts based on enrollment and instrumentation. It is a great way for students to stay engaged in music, build confidence, make new friends, and experience the fun of making music together.
Meet Our Band Lab Instructors and Coaches
Eli Hansen
Bass Guitar
Eli Hansen is an upright and electric bassist, synthesist, audio engineer and educator from Roseburg, Oregon. He is currently pursuing a master’s degree in the Jazz Studies program at the University of Oregon and is an active member of the Pacific Northwest music scene. After completing his undergraduate degree and winning outstanding jazz performer in the area, he was awarded a graduate teaching fellow position in the jazz and popular music areas. He currently serves as a teaching assistant, jazz and popular ensemble director, and instructor of electric bass for the popular music area.
As a freelance musician and composer, he has worked with artists such as Julia Logue, Neil Gregory Johnson, Joe Manis, Roger Woods, Ehren Ebbage, Nick Gamer, Golden Boy, Braxton Cook, BendreTheGiant, and The Graduating Class. Additionally, he has been featured in groups such as the University of Oregon Wind Ensemble, the Oregon Jazz Ensemble, JazzArts Oregon, and the Eugene Concert Choir.
Hansen has studied classical and jazz bass with Tyler Abbott, and he has studied jazz composition with Keith Brown, Paul Krueger, and Steve Owen. He has studied briefly and/or participated in master classes with Remy LeBoeuf, Braxton Cook, Adam Larson, and Dezron Douglas
Mason Caldwell
Percussion / Drums
Mason Caldwell, a native of Eugene, was immersed in the world of music from an early age. Initially drawn to the clarinet, he honed his musical skills throughout middle and high school. However, it wasn’t until he discovered his true calling in drums and percussion that Mason’s musical journey took a transformative turn.
His pursuit of musical excellence led him to Lane Community College, where he became a student of Brian Scott. Continuing his education at the University of Oregon, Mason earned a Bachelor’s degree in Percussion Performance under the mentorship of Sean Wagoner and Pius Cheung. It was during this period that he co-founded the band Senza, a musical collaboration that endures more than a decade later.
While Mason exhibits proficiency across various genres such as jazz, funk, pop, and blues, his true passion lies in the realms of metal, punk, and screamo. Beyond being a skilled performer, Mason is enthusiastic about sharing his love for music and the transformative power it holds for both individuals and communities alike. With over a decade of experience, he continues to contribute to the vibrant musical landscape in Eugene, Oregon and beyond.
Matthew Pavilanis
Pianist / Guitarist
Originally from Michigan, Matthew Pavilanis is a young, enigmatic classical pianist whose main goal is to share his passion and love for music through performance and instruction. Matthew received a bachelor’s degree in music from the Western Michigan University (2008) and a master’s degree in music from the University of Oregon (2011), both with an emphasis in Piano Performance. His teachers have included Dean Kramer, Silvia Roederer, Claire Wachter, David Riley and Cary Lewis. Matthew is currently active as an instructor and solo and collaborative performer in Oregon. Although Matthew has had performance experience in all periods of classical music, he has a special interest in the interpretation and performance of contemporary classical music. Matthew has also performed with Beta Collide, the Oregon-based cutting edge new music ensemble. Beta Collide, directed by Molly Barth (formerly of eighth blackbird) and Brian McWhorter (formerly of Meridian Arts Ensemble), focuses on the collision of musical art forms – from new complexity to ambient; from low-brow to high-brow; from radically extended technique to site-specific improvisation; from popular to the academy. Matthew is also an accomplished piano and guitar instructor, having taught and maintained a studio of young pianists for the past twenty years.