MLN-BDES1dec4-14

MLN-BDES2dec4-14A new program has begun this school year at Beaver Dam Elementary School.  Special Education Assistant John Budd transforms into a guitar instructor after school.  He has been working with a cadre of students each week.  They have been enthusiastically learning the chords and rhythms of guitar.  Echoes of “Yellow Submarine” can be heard throughout the hallways.  In order to stimulate their interest and help them realize the fruits of practicing, Mr. Budd arranged for some experienced musicians to visit the school and play for the rapt eagle audience.

On Thursday, November 13, they held their first Guitar Instruction Workshop.  It was a real jam session!  Terry Bart, Wayne Andreola, Dan Erickson, Kim Tomsic, Dan Kizerian, and Bob Landes generously gave of their time, bringing instruments, amps, and microphones to the school library.  They rocked out for almost two hours to the delight of the eagle audience.  Especially thrilling for the aspiring guitarists in Mr. Budd’s group was the opportunity to actually play along with real musicians!  The guitar students were able to sit close to the musicians so they could watch the guitar players play their myriad of chords and riffs and see how the experienced players interacted with each other as they played song after song.

The musicians shared their personal stories about how and when they started to play guitar.  They gave testimonies about the pleasure and enjoyment they have derived from playing over the years.  It is their mutual love of music which brought them together in friendship.  Thanks to the generosity of Mike and Jan Sullivan, owners of Guns and Guitars in Mesquite, the group jams regularly at the store.  They can play as loud as they wish and never bother anyone!  The group includes the guitarists, harmonica players, vocalists, and other musicians. Mike and Jan have been strong supporters of the after-school guitar instruction program at Beaver Dam.

The musicians visit was very inspiring for the students.  Mr. Budd reports that his students have improved quite a bit since the jam session.  Could there be a Carlos Santana or Eric Clapton in the nest at Beaver Dam? Time will tell!  In the meantime the beat goes on through the hallways of the Eagles’ Nest.