Try Music

Submitted by: Owens Community College (OH)

by the Music Business II Class (teacher: Denise Grupp-Verbon)

In response to The Savvy Musician Challenge #1 

Are Musicians Truly Important? Most people immediately agree that doctors, farmers, and teachers provide essential services to our communities.  But what about musicians?  Is our work vital?  What kind of important differences can we make?

Life without music would be silence.  To negate the silence, Try Music!

Try Music is a proposed program where musicians will make a difference by teaching community members to play musical instruments and learn to experience the joys of music, bringing awareness to the necessity, applicability, and beauty of music. The Try Music mission is to introduce people to the value of music as well as the importance of music and musicians to the community. 

Try Music will begin as a bi-annual festival led by faculty and student musicians of the Fine and Performing Arts Department of Owens State Community College in Toledo, Ohio.  These musicians will design workshops, presentations and concerts to share with members of the Northwest Ohio Community. Participants can try playing an instrument in a hands-on group setting, perform in a small ensemble, listen to a concert, and talk with professionals and students in the music field.  This Try Music experience will leave many people with the notion to attend more events like this, create their own music circle, join an established musical ensemble, or even take up lessons to learn their favorite instrument.  In addition, Try Music will gain more supporters of live music.

The Try Music experience will illustrate that playing music has great benefits.  Among these benefits are increased self-confidence, the opportunity to share joy with others and the chance to become more creative. The dedication, discipline and patience required to play music can be carried over to other abilities in our lives, such as work ethic and improved organizational and study skills. Folks participating in Try Music will seek people who share their same interests in music. This type of communication between peers and generations strengthens social interaction and understanding.

Once Try Music’s pilot program is successful, other musicians will be recruited to reach out to the community in a traveling workshop program.  The traveling program will extend to places like Urban Community Centers, Retirement Residences, and schools, for example. Try Music can easily be expanded to include additional communities and institutions. 

Try Music will help to strengthen and create better citizens within the community.  Music mentoring programs will be established to match suitable, more advanced musicians with beginners. Matching can be done formally and informally through interviews, personal profiles, comparative interest inventories, and sessions where the people can get acquainted. 

Try Music will directly and indirectly create jobs for music instructors; audio and lighting technicians; performers; music publishers; musical instrument builders and manufacturers; promoters/organizers; recording artists; recording engineers and music store owners.  

This proposed Try Music program will show vital musical contributions to the community and its citizens by creating new musicians, a new appreciation for music, and employment for musicians from teachers to performers to support staff.  Part of the mission at Owens State Community College is to serve the community and provide students with the education and experiences necessary for their success.  Try Music will serve as a model initiative for other communities and institutions to follow. 

Life with Try Music is a celebration! 

Owens State Community College is located in Toledo, Ohio and offers a Music Business Technology Certificate, which features courses in Recording and MIDI Technology, Songwriting and Music Business. The Music Business classes include practical application projects, including the production and promotion of an annual on-campus concert series.

3 Responses to “Try Music”

1. Sara Soldner says:

   April 14, 2010 at 1:49 am

   I thought that this is very well written and compelling; also a constructive way to create new jobs, better the community, and show the importance of music to a vast and infinite audience.
2. Phillis Grewe says:

   October 6, 2010 at 9:34 pm

   hey!,I like yourwritting so much! share we meet more about your blog on MSN? Looking forward to see you.
3. Estell Vanisouvong says:

   May 10, 2011 at 4:47 pm

   That sounds superior however , i am just still less than sure that I prefer it. Anyways will look further into it and decide personally!