Community Music is people participating in music together.
Community music includes folks of all skills and ages playing together. It is participating in a Song Swap, an impromptu jam session between a high school student and an experienced band leader, or students in a group lesson talking about what they practiced between sessions. It’s lending instruments, equipment, and resources to those who will use them, and sharing knowledge, skills, and experience in private lessons and workshops.
Community music is volunteers offering to play music in classrooms for young kids, or with older folks in their homes. It’s an Open Mic performance in front of friends and fellow musicians, or an audio technician helping a talent show performer get comfortable with the microphone and audience. It’s audience members sharing their favorite moments of the performance. Community music is non-competitive and non-judgemental— it’s an opportunity to play, share, learn, create, and enjoy music without fear of failure.
Connecting with others through shared musical experiences can be profound and life-changing. It can be the intangible moment that exhilarates or challenges us. It can be an experience telling us we belong: we can all play or sing a song, or we can help someone find their own song. We enjoy another person’s performance with others, and feel that we are part of the room, a part of the experience. We can meet other folks with similar interests and play together for fun, healing, support, and growth.
These are the benefits of belonging to a musical community. Foundry Hall is creating a space for these opportunities. We invite everyone to join us!
“The world of musicians always accepts new members.” — Wynton Marsalis
