By Paul Roberts
Special to The PREVIEW
Join musician and music therapist Paul Roberts for a free hand-drumming class at the Pagosa Lakes Clubhouse on Tuesday, March 5, at noon.
Music is a form of self-expression, a means of communication, a freeing of the mind and spirit, a flowering of the imagination.
Even people whose innate talents have been hiding under a rock, have not had formal training, have been encumbered by negative responses from others, or who are intensely drawn to music but have not had enough judgement-free opportunities to express themselves can still harness this creative skill.
In his book “The Music Instinct: How Music Works and Why We Can’t Do Without It,” Philip Ball writes, “Music ought to be a central and indispensable facet of a rounded education … it is a gymnasium for the mind. No other activity seems to use so many parts of the brain at once, nor to promote their integration … it is clearly established that music education has a positive effect on general intellect. It is also a potentially socializing activity … sensitive music teaching … will bring out one of music’s most valuable attributes, which is the nurturing and education of emotion … music no less than literacy gives access to endless wonders. To cultivate those avenues is to facilitate life-enhancing experience.”
Creating music is not just for a gifted elite. Nearly everyone has musical ability. The purpose of this class is to provide an easily accessible path to the whole-brain activity of musical expression.
An opportunity for people of all ages to unleash their creativity, the drumming class is a family-friendly activity. No previous experience is necessary. Drums are provided for those who do not have one.
For more information, call 731-3117. The Pagosa Lakes Clubhouse is located at 230 Port Ave.
