Never-Ending Scales are No More – Adults Share How Music Lessons Shape Their Lives

adult music lesson olympia
Skyler Blake (right) teaches an adult guitar lesson at Sound Star Music Academy.
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By Lynn West

hawks prairie golf logoFor many adults music lessons are synonymous with childhood memories of monotonous metronomes, endless scales, and “practice, practice, practice.” However, other adults, like two of my sons-in-laws, are carving out time from busy schedules for lessons. Intrigued listening to their experiences, I decided to check in with the studios where they take lessons.

Skyler Blake, owner and instructor at Sound Star Music Academy agreed, “Many adults have had a lifelong interest in music, but have never been compelled to pursue it before.”

adult music lesson olympia
Skyler Blake (right) teaches an adult guitar lesson at Sound Star Music Academy.

Richard Brotherton, West Region Sales Manager for Karndean Designflooring and father of two elementary school kids, echoes Skyler’s comments, “I will be the first to tell you, I have absolutely no talent whatsoever, but I have always wanted to take piano lessons. When a friend gave me Skyler’s number last summer, I knew the time had come. As a matter of fact, I’d like to get the kids started too.”

Only about five to ten percent of Skyler’s students are adults, but he says, “They are great to work with. You can take concepts deeper and engage more cultural aspects because adults have a lifelong connection to music that they bring to their lessons.” Like all teachers, he loves those ‘ah-ha’ moments. He told me how Richard was experimenting with chords and realized what he was playing was reminiscent of “Hill Street Blues.”

Skyler’s lessons do not follow the “old school order” but begin where his students want to go with their music. He wants to transmit his passion so a student “feels the vibration.” One of his adult students recently recorded her first acoustic guitar CD with cello and mandolin accompaniment. Skyler and another musician have started offering occasional Didgeridoo Adult Workshops on weekends, and he is planning Music Theory Workshops for advanced students.

adult music lesson olympia
Joey Archer, left, practices with student, Ryan McGaughy.

Joey Archer, the owner of Jammin’ Music Studios, told me, “Since I opened in 2006, I have moved locations three times to accommodate a growing number of students.” Currently at the Tumwater location, Joey and fourteen instructors teach over 500 students each week, 25-30 percent of them adults. “A woman in her eighties is learning the ukulele, and doing quite well,” he told me, “but the majority of the adults are in the 30-60 age range.”

Most of Jammin’s adult students like Sound Star’s, are juggling careers, family, and music lessons. Ted Loran, Director of Network Operations at the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction fits that profile. “I was a stranger to music when I decided to take lessons with Joey,” he said. “ I wanted the challenge to try something that looked impossible and foreign to me. Playing music seemed almost like witchcraft!”

Ted takes his lessons on Sundays, and he praised Joey’s flexibility in working around schedules. A year into lessons, Ted says that even though the studio is a hive of activity, he finds Joey’s patience and ability to communicate are what keeps him coming back.

adult music lesson olympia
Garner Miller performs a selection at a recital of Heidi Altenhofen’s voice students.

Other students, unlike Ted, are not new to music, but choose to take lessons to enhance their current skills. Garner Miller, a partner at MSGS Architects in Olympia, has been singing all his life. Garner sings in church groups and is a founding member of Nana’s Pant Suit, a local band, but he decided it was time for formal voice lessons. Heidi Altenhofen, Garner’s voice instructor at Jammin’ said, “Twenty percent of my students are adults. Some come just for enrichment and to treat themselves to a new creative endeavor, while the majority are actively performing.”

In either the smaller Sound Star studio or larger Jammin’, getting to know students and making that personal connection are key for keeping adult students motivated. As Heidi told me, “Singing and playing music make the students very vulnerable, so we need to make them comfortable and help them move forward toward their goals.” Garner described his first recital, “It is weird that it didn’t bother me at all to follow a six-year-old. It is amazing to see talent at any age.”

Carolyn Hardee, President and Chief Technical Officer at Engineered Software and a devoted grandmother, takes lessons from Mary Jo Wright who has “Adult Only” recitals, followed by a nice glass of wine and dinner. Carolyn’s daughter surprised her with a gift certificate for lessons with Mary Jo, and Carolyn said, “I loved returning to music so much, I am still at it.”

Mary Jo said she still takes lessons herself from a retired music professor, so she stays in tune with her students as student as well as teacher. She is currently accepting new adult students at her studio. “Gift certificates are a way many adults begin lessons,” Mary Jo said.

If you are looking for a gift for an adult in your life or want to treat yourself to a creative adventure, give Sound Star Music Academy, Jammin’ Music Studio, or Mary Jo Wright Music Studio a call. Remember, now you only have to practice when you want to.

 

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