JACKSON, Wyo. – Somewhere in Jackson Hole, someone hasn’t taken their trumpet out of its case since high school, a would-be drummer has never held a pair of sticks, and a guitar player has never played in a band.
Next week, Teton Music School is giving each of them somewhere to start.
Four eight-week courses are getting underway Sept. 28. Classes will specialize in:
- Drum kit
- Rock band
- Concert band
- Ukulele
Designed for adults 55+, the classes are open to adults of all ages. Each meets weekly for 90 minutes, with students building skills sequentially, playing alongside other people and building toward an opportunity to share what they have learned with others.
All four courses meet during the day at Teton Music School and are offered on a pay-what-you-can basis, with suggested tuition of $180 for the eight-week course. Course details and registration are available at the TMS website, or call (307)201-1908.
There’s a lot happening when adults learn to make music
Instructor Ed Domer starts drum kit students with basic grooves they can use to play along with familiar songs, hands and feet gradually learning to do different things at the same time. Drummers call it limb independence, but it’s also a workout for the brain, combining coordination, attention and memory.
Ukulele offers a particularly accessible starting point. With four strings and a smaller, gentler instrument in the hands, beginners can get to making recognizable music quickly. Instructor Susan Jones likes to point out how much music becomes available with only a couple of chords. Just two chords can be enough to play a song, turning a new skill into a way to connect with others.
For one Uke55 student, learning to play an instrument fulfilled something she had wanted for much longer. “My lifelong dream came true,” she said.
And sometimes the music keeps going. Uke55 gave rise to Jam55, a weekly TMS ensemble whose instrumentation now includes guitar, bass, drums and accordion alongside ukuleles. Members play favorite songs together and perform around the community.
For some students, the instrument itself won’t be new at all.
Concert Band 55 instructor Cheryl DeLong taught school band for 35 years and is now assistant conductor of Jackson Hole Community Band, which is partnering with TMS on the course. She expects some students to arrive with instruments they haven’t touched in decades. The work is wonderfully practical: get the embouchure working again. Remember the fingerings. Read the notes. Make a sound. Then make one together.
Absolute beginners are welcome, too, including adults who have always wanted to learn a brass or woodwind instrument or try a different one.
At an Instrument Try-Day on September 30, students can try different instruments, and returning players can bring in an old one to see if it is still playable. TMS can also help arrange rentals. At the end of the course, participants will have the opportunity to join Jackson Hole Community Band for a shared piece in its December concert.
For musicians who already have some basic playing skills, Rock Band 55 takes that same idea of making music together in another direction. A guitarist can know the chords, a drummer can hold a beat and a singer can know the song, but a band requires everyone to listen, adjust and stay together in real time.
“There’s something pretty magical when you go from playing in your living room to the rehearsal room with all the instruments and new friends, and then bring it all to a stage. It’s hard to beat that feeling when it all comes together with your bandmates in front of an audience.” said TMS instructor Taylor Upton.
Over eight weeks, Upton’s group will build a set of rock, R&B and blues, then take it out of the classroom for a live gig.
Studies of older adults making music have pointed to benefits around learning, confidence, emotional well-being and social connection, all things that can grow alongside the musical skills themselves.
Teton Music School’s courses for age 55+ are supported in part by a Creative Aging grant from the Wyoming Arts Council. Additional funding for adult programs at TMS comes from the Community Foundation of Jackson Hole.
