WESTFIELD-As renovations continue in room 4 at 38 Elm St., musician and teacher Jonathan Adams is eager to introduce students of all ages in the Greater Westfield area to the Western Mass Pan Project.
“The Western Mass Pan Project is about educating the community about the origins of steel drums or pans,” said Adams. “The first thing students learn is a basic history of where the pans came from and how they were created.”
The steel drums that are introduced to students at the Western Mass Pan Project, led by Westfield native Jonathan Adams.
Adams noted the pans are an “amazing engineering creation” and the only new acoustical instrument created in the 20th century.
Adams originally had studio space in Easthampton at the former Thread Arts Collective but longed to bring the project to the city.
“I’ve lived in Westfield my whole life and I want to give back to the community I’ve grown up in and love,” he said.
Adams learned to play steel drums as part of his degree from the Hartt School of Music in 2000.
“I’ve played on and off for years and decided in 2014 that I would really like to teach people how to play the pans and made the investment with one of the world’s top tuner/builders, Kyle Dunleavy, who I went to Hartt with,” he said.
Adams notes that his studio classes will be a part-time endeavor since being a professional musician/teacher is “time demanding.”
“I’d love to get to the point that I could do this full-time and still have time for my family,” he said, adding he walked away from being a full-time musician several years ago to spend more time with his wife and children.
“I’ve been running a steel drum group since January of last year but teaching private drum lessons for 21 years,” he said.
Adams acknowledges that learning any instrument can be daunting for some; however, he adds it is never too late to try something new.
“Don’t sit on the sidelines of life but be part of the game,” he said.
Each group session will be 12 to 16 weeks long depending on when the session starts. At the end of each session a performance for family, friends and the general public will be conducted. As part of the session, Adams will first teach students the basics of reading music and understanding time and rhythm. Also, each member will have a chance to play on multiple steel drums and percussion instruments typically used in a steel drum band.
“You do not need to have any kind of musical background, just a willingness to learn,” he said. “Everyone learns and progresses at their own speed but will be part of the group.”
All rehearsals will be conducted at Adams’ new studio – the Center City Arts Space – on Elm Street.
Adams will divide groups into four divisions once the program has enough students. Those divisions are elementary school aged children, middle school students, high school students, and adults.
“We can make exceptions for kids who are younger but they must be able to listen and focus for a 60-minute rehearsal once a week,” he said.
Rehearsals for the other groups will last 90 minutes once a week.
“The adult band can also be for younger students who may want to play at a higher level or with a parent or family member,” said Adams. “This is a great way for families to bond together through music.”
Adams added that each of the groups can be interchanged if there is space and if the student has the ability to perform at a higher level and is comfortable moving up.
“The goal is for everyone to have fun and be comfortable playing,” said Adams. “We are all at different levels of playing and learning and we will try to make sure each student is matched in the proper group.”
Adams said that learning any instrument helps to instill hard work and discipline and seeing results come from that work.
“This is a group class so the kids learn to also work as a group and be accountable to learn their parts so the group and song sound good,” he said. “Music also works on math skills because you need to learn to count and feel rhythm.”
In addition to young people, Adams also welcomes and encourages adults to consider learning the steel drums.
“I create individual parts for each arrangement to fit the player’s ability,” he said. “I’ve had high school band directors to moms who have never played an instrument in their life and they’ve all played together in these groups. If I have enough participants I will have multiple groups with different playing levels so everyone can feel comfortable in their group.”
Adams said his motto is “no experience necessary, just a willingness to learn.”
As Adams looks to mid-August for his official studio opening, he is eager to teach.
“I want to leave a legacy of music behind me and hope to have people look back and say ‘I learned a lot about music and life from Jon,’” he said, noting the importance of students to pass on that knowledge to others, whether it is their own children or students if they become teachers or instructors.
“I’m starting Center City Arts Space to have a place to teach and rehearse and also provide a place for others to teach as well,” he said. “I’m always looking for others who want to educate others from yoga to art to workshops who may need a place to teach or create.”
For more information on fall group sessions which are slated for Monday evenings from 6 to 7:30, contact Adams at (413) 531-0226 or email him at [email protected].
