The Bluegrass Music Academy recently debuted at the Bluegrass Music Hall of Fame & Museum, with a vision of creating a healthy, happy community through a bluegrass music experience. Led by Education Director Randy Lanham, the program offers private lessons, online video lessons, music therapy classes, programs for senior adults and other special populations, and connects individual musicians to form bluegrass music bands.
The program has a focus of “music with a mission and was created with support of the Marilyn and William Young Charitable Foundation.
“Research shows music can have a great impact on mental and physical health. Utilizing music as a tool to improve health outcomes can have a lasting effect on the person providing/playing the music, the person listening to music, and the community at large,” a release from the Hall of Fame says.
All participants will have the opportunity to play with others in nonprofit organizations such as nursing homes, Hospice, churches, the hospital, and more. Future plans for the program include offering special programs for veterans, front line workers, homeless, troubled youth, etc.
Advanced training in songwriting, recording, stage presence, performing live sound training, video production, etc. is also expected to be offered. The group is also working with Owensboro Health on a Banjolele program to help patients instantly learn the nuances of playing along with a band.
Private instructor Chris Armstrong has been teaching music for 30 years, and has been an instructor at the Hall of Fame for 7 years. He teaches guitar, fiddle, banjo, mandolin, dobro, and bass. He has played and performed music for almost 50 years, and is fluent in many different styles including gospel, rock, blues, thumb picking, Texas swing, jazz, rockabilly, and bluegrass.
For more information or to sign up for lessons, contact Randy Lanham at [email protected].
