True story: "You're never too old, busy or rusty to make music."

From the Baltimore Sun: "Eighty-five percent of adults in the U.S. who do not play a musical instrument wish they had learned to play one, according to a 2009 Gallup Poll; 69 percent would like to play one now. Nearly all believe musical skills can be learned at any age. Yet a 2012 National Endowment for the Arts survey found that just 12 percent of U.S. adults were playing musical instruments."  

(The rest of the article is available here.)

My complimentary copy of Amy Nathan's new book arrived this week! Making Time for Making Music: How to Bring Music Into Your Busy Life, is now available for purchase. I'm in the book, and so are a lot of my friends from the Old Town School of Folk Music. Ms. Nathan was particularly interested in talking to people who make music, but also have 9-5 jobs like ordinary mortals. 

I filled out Amy's questionnaire in 2015 and a lot has changed in my life since then, but my love for making music has never gone away. There's something really empowering in learning how to play an instrument. It's even more satisfying to learn how to make music with one another. I love it so much that me and my friend Rich decided create our old Old Town School-like experience right here in Northwest Indiana!

So if you live in Hammond, Indiana or parts nearby, never again do you have to wonder what your life might have been like if only you'd picked up an instrument, because Band 101 is here for you! We are a group of fun loving folks who love to relax and unwind at the end of a busy week by playing music together. 

Band 101 gets together every Friday night at 6:30 p.m. at the Hyde Park United Methodist Church in Hammond, Indiana. The address is 6348 Harrison Avenue, Hammond, Indiana. Marissa puts on a pot of coffee, Alan brings sweets and we sing and play music together to our hearts' content-- usually about 90 minutes or so. 

It doesn't matter if you've never played, because we have the tools to get you started. And if you're shy, that's okay-- we're here to help you get your confidence so you can start your own Band 101 someday. 

We hope to see you this Friday!