BRATTLEBORO — March introduces a daytime educational series for adults at Brattleboro Music Center, including monthly music appreciation gatherings, a chorus for seniors, and a beginners' violin class.
According to the BMC's Pam Lierle, the adult daytime track “is a direct response to the region's decidedly older adult population and mounting evidence that engagement in music as we age has significant positive health benefits.”
Lierle says in a program announcement those benefits include elevated mood, relief of pain, reduction in stress, improvement in long-term memory, a greater sense of well-being, the stimulation of positive interactions, improved cognitive function, and a boosted immune system.
The programs are structured for maximum accessibility and require no previous musical experience. Tuition ranges from $5 to $10 per session.
“Our goal is to create well-being by getting everyone listening, singing, and playing,” Lierle says.
Music appreciation monthly gatherings, featuring music and discussion, are scheduled for the second Monday of each month from 1:30 to 3 p.m. at the BMC, 38 Walnut St. in Brattleboro. Drop-ins are welcome, and each session is $5 at the door.
• March 10 - Pianist Hugh Keelan explores the music of Debussy and Wagner.
• April 14 - Peter and Mary Alice Amidon share traditional American sacred songs.
• May 12 - Cellist Zon Eastes.
Singing Strong Chorus, designed for seniors, is led by Choral Director Susan Dedell on Tuesdays from 1:30 to 2:30 p.m. at St. Michael's Episcopal Church, which is fully accessible. The first session runs from March 4 through April 8; the second session from April 22 through May 27.
Dedell will lead the choir in songs chosen from a variety of musical styles, mostly from the great song repertoire of the 1930s, 1940s, and 1950s. No singing experience or music reading skills are necessary. Tuition is $35 per six-week session, and advance registration is required.
Adult Beginning Violin is for beginners interested in trying out an instrument. Michelle Liechti leads this first series of adult instrument classes on Thursdays, starting March 6, from 11 a.m. to noon at the BMC. Tuition for five sessions is $50, and loaner violins are available.
“It is such a gift to have opportunities to learn something new and expand throughout our lives,” Lierle adds. “We hope many people will take advantage of this new adult daytime track and reap the benefits.”
Each year, the Music Center enriches the lives of more than 10,000 residents of southeastern Vermont and neighboring New Hampshire and Massachusetts counties. Hundreds of classes, workshops, concerts, and other events bring people together to learn, listen, and join together in celebration of music and community.