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THURSDAY

An audio/video studio in the front, a traditional recording setup in the back, and a full range of guitars, basses, keyboards, and drums in between: The kids might call it “cool,” but, to their Tape Op–subscribing parents the John Lennon Educational Tour Bus is the Musician’s Friend catalog on wheels. Staffed by three recording and multimedia engineers, this mobile musical miracle rolls from town to town, offering workshops and customized studio sessions to young students who, after creating an entire music-video project from top to bottom, get to leave with a DVD of their completed work. Aging audiophiles, meanwhile, have the option of engaging one another in pro-gear banter or enjoying live performances and product demonstrations on the bus’s side stage. Dig out your old high-school ID and get on the bus from 10 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the National Museum of American History, 14th Street and Constitution Avenue NW. Free. (202) 633-1000. (Matthew Borlik)