New JCA program ‘Music by the Tracks’ begins
Published 3:00 am Wednesday, January 3, 2018
First there was Art by the Tracks. Now, there’s Music by the Tracks.
Amanda Ford, musician and teacher, is sharing her love of music with kids, ages four through youth, who also enjoy making a joyful “noise” with instruments of different kinds. The Art by the Tracks and Music by the Tracks studio is on East Walnut Street in downtown Troy, across from the Johnson Center for the Arts and by the railroad tracks.
“Music by the Tracks is sponsored by the Johnson Center for the Arts and provides children with opportunities to discover music and movement through singing and with simple instruments,” Ford said. “We have an 11-week session coming up and registration is open. The children do not have to have any prior knowledge of music to benefit from Music by the Tracks.”
Ford said the classes largely appeal to home school students but are not limited to home school students.
“Students in the public schools usually have some music opportunities while many home school students don’t,” she said. “Music and movement are important and we wanted to make those opportunities to the children in our area.”
The classes are held on Music Mondays, beginning January 8, and on Tuned on Tuesdays beginning January 9.
Music on Mondays has three sessions, Discover Music and Movement for K4 and K from 9:10 until 9:40 a.m. The fee is $65. The Discover Music and Movement session for grades one and two is from 9:45 until 10:15 a.m. The fee is $65. Beginning band Unit 2 is from 10:30 until 11:30 a.m. The fee is $145.
Tuned on Tuesdays for beginning band, grades three and up meets from 9:30 until 10:30 a.m. and the fee is $145.
“Music by the Tracks” also includes an opportunity to participate in a Community Youth Band for young people with at least one year of previous instruction.
“The Community Band class is held after school, so we have home schooled students as well as students from Troy Elementary and Charles Henderson High School and from Pike Liberal Arts,” Ford said.
“The Community Band is small but the students are talented and interested in learning.
“They learn, too, from each other,” she said. “The band is really like an honors band,” she said.
Community Youth Band meets from 4:30 until 5:30 p.m. The band fee is $145.
For more information about Music by the Tracks, email Amanda Ford at forda@troycable.net or call or text 334-372-5023.