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The Recreational Music Making movement is rapidly gaining
support, thanks to a number of programs designed to motivate
people who may have always wanted to play music but had limited
access and/or opportunity.
Each program has the following in common:
- They are group based
- They are guided by a mentor rather than a "teacher"
- They do not have top class performance as an imperative
- They emphasize the social interaction, rather than musical
competency
- They have a replicable methodology and are therefore deliverable
in the same manner at various locations
Recreational Music Making is about inspiring exceptional
living, it's about exceptional support and personal experience,
and it's about giving people permission to play. Here are
some existing Recreational Music Making programs that may
motivate you to start making music.
Sites of Interest
Village Music Circles
http://www.drumcircle.com/vmc/index.html
A Village Music Circle™ is a group of people having fun
creating simple parts on a chorus of tuned drums, percussion
and musical instruments. The simple act of playing music together
profoundly teaches the skills inherent in becoming a strong
and thriving community.
The Sir Charles Blues Lab
www.blueslab.org
The Sir Charles Blues Lab creates access for young people
in after school programs. It's a non-profit organization dedicated
to providing people of all ages and backgrounds with opportunities
to learn, master and pass on the American Blues tradition
as a life and community enriching activity. In an era when
more and more children do not have access to a music education
in schools, these programs can provide an after-school haven.
The Weekend Warriors
Weekend Warriors is a program organized by AMC's affiliate,
NAMM, that puts non-active musicians back on stage to relive
their love of playing in a band, just for the fun of it. Local
music retailers who participate in the Weekend Warriors program
help "wanna-be" or "used-to-be" amateur
musicians to have an opportunity to rock again, by matching
up people with compatible interests, providing a space to
practice and perform, and even helping with instruments.
Click here to
read more on The Weekend Warriors
New Horizons Band
www.newhorizonsband.com
Founded by Dr. Roy Ernst and supported by AMC affiliates NAMM
and NABIM, the New Horizons Band program involves more than
90 bands and 5000 people in the United States and Canada.
The New Horizons concept applies to seniors typically (but
not necessarily) over the age of 50 in large band programs
as well as smaller ensembles such as stage bands, Dixie bands,
orchestras and chamber music groups.
It's a band program for adult beginners-even if you can't
read music-and people who may have played in school but put
it aside for many years. By joining or starting a New Horizons
Band or Orchestra, you can fill your life with music, new
friends, fun and accomplishment.
Click here to
read more on the New Horizons Band
Music Making and Wellness
Even the ancients understood that music is beautiful and an
integral part of society. But in only the last several years,
some compelling hard science has linked active music making
with what's going on inside your body as well - in areas like
strengthening the immune system, maintaining hormonal balance,
even combating the effects of Alzheimer's Disease.
Click here to
read more on Music Making and Wellness
The Mind-Body Wellness Center
www.mind-body.org
The Mind-Body Wellness Center is the home ofECaP - Exceptional
Cancer Patients,an organization founded by Bernie Siegel,
MDin 1978 and dedicated to providing tools,information and
resourcesfor individuals challenged by chronic illnesses.
Lowry's Magic Organ Course
www.lowrey.com/classes.asp
Lowry's Magic Organ course is a Recreational Music-Making
program, where enjoyment and wellness are the focus. The comprehensive
protocol features 12 modules of 10-week courses, and six more
advanced 12-week classes. Magic Organ is ideal for people
who want to take on a fun, new hobby in a relaxed social setting.
Lowry's protocol is designed to help participants succeed
from start to finish as they learn a new easy-play song each
week. The company makes things simple for dealers as well,
with everything from lesson plans to prints ads and direct
mail pieces provided for easy implementation. Best of all,
the program is receiving rave reviews from students and facilitators
alike.
Remo has always believed in marching to the beat of a different
drummer. Instead of simply relying on aspiring musicians
to buy its products, Remo sought to bring out the musician
in everyone. The company's drum circles are legendary for
encouraging each participant to find his or her own unique
rhythm. While people suspected such recreational drumming
was a great stress reliever, three years ago the company sponsored
scientific research putting this theory to the test under
the direction of Dr. Barry Bittman (now Remo's medical advisor),
ultimately demonstrating the exciting immune system benefits
of its HealthRHYTHMS® drumming protocol. "Your average
non-musical person may not think of music as a recreational
option, let alone something that could enhance their lives,"
says Remo's Director of Music Therapy and Wellness, Christine
Stevens. "However, we are showing people on a weekly
basis that drumming is something they can easily do and incorporate
into their usual recreational routine. Like rhythmic yoga,
it's a creative workout for mind, body and spirit."
To learn more about HealthRHYTHMS go to www.remo.com/health
Welcome to Club Roland
http://www.rolandus.com/musicforlife
No, it's not a trendy nightspot, but it is a place where
people go to have a good time. In fact, socializing and forming
friendships is at the very heart of what this Recreational
Music Making program is all about. "Club Roland is a
weekly senior wellness activity composed of a lesson-based
curriculum that includes group singing and movement activities,"
explains Roland's Contemporary Keyboard General Manager, Lynda
Smith. "The 'seventh-inning stretch' encourages them
to breathe and to stretch and move their fingers in the same
way they would to play the keyboard. Participants also play
a music theory game and 'Rock around the Organ' as the facilitator
plays music and asks them questions about the instrument."
When NAMM first began to sponsor research on the benefits
of music making for seniors, Roland was one of the manufacturers
in on its test phase of the Music Making and Wellness initiative.
Having created its own successful protocol, the company now
offers two or three training sessions a year for new Club
Roland facilitators.
Yamaha's new test program, The Clavinova Connection,
has customers lighting up with excitement. Sure, a big part
of it is the way Yamaha's group music classes utilize the
innovative SmartLIGHTSTM technology, which enables the player
to find the next notes of a song on a digital piano by illuminating
the keys. But it's also Yamaha's fun, new curriculum—encouraging
participants to dabble in music making while focusing on fun
and making friends—that's really struck a chord. The
program includes multiple components, including wellness exercises,
the song of the day, the opportunity to improvise and a drum
circle. "What we've already seen happen in our test market
is that people who aren't in the market for a digital piano
and don't think they're musical join The Clavinova Connection
and realize—through the use of the programs and the technology—that
they are in fact musical," says Craig Knudsen, Clavinova
Connection Executive Administrator. "They can take what's
in their heart and have it come through their fingers. Like
many people realizing its potential, Knudsen is excited about
Recreational Music Making.
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