Musician Wants to Give Kids a Place to Jam

A resident musician is trying to give kids a place to play music.

Brian Jones is working diligently to get local children to come together and perform on stage at local venues in a new series called Music Mashup.

Jones owns Good Vibrations Music and gives music lessons to area residents.

Jones has already organized one performance for Saturday, March 3 at . Proceeds from the event will be donated to the Wayne Volunteer Organization Active in Disasters.

Jones started playing music live with his friends in a band when he was a kid.

“We had places where we could play and it kept us out of trouble,” the 10-year Wayne resident said.  “Kids don’t seem to have a place they can play anymore and that’s a shame. There are so many good, young musicians out there who just want a place to play.”

Jones’ passion is getting children to love playing, and creating, music.

His technique for teaching music begins with finding out what a student’s musical preferences are. He said that too often music teachers introduce students to music on the page with sheet music or by memorizing scales and cords.

“The first thing I ask people is: ‘Who’s your favorite musician and what song of theirs do you like?’ or someone will come to me and say that they want to learn how to play a particular song,” Jones said. “That’s the best way you can start because you’re already motivated because you’re learning to play something you like. And I’ve got your attention. It’s not being forced on you.”

Once they listen to a song and work with him on learning it, Jones said then he sprinkles in some technical know-how into the lessons. Then the real fun begins: students begin composing their own music.

Jones has helped everyone from adults to special-needs children in Wayne express themselves musically.

“I started working with one gentleman who said that he feels so much better after he walks out of here than when he walked in,” Jones said. Playing and creating music is therapeutic for a lot of people. That’s the power music has.”

Rev. Louis Kilgor, pastor of Franklin Lakes Presbyterian Church, said hosting the event on March 3 fits into the church’s vision.

“We’ve always supported the arts and we’re really excited about this,” Kilgor said. “We’ve been around for 50 years and from the beginning our mission was to be a place for the community to come and socialize. This event is just an extension of that mission.”

The church will provide chaperones for the event.

Jones is looking for young people to perform. Auditions won’t be held but those who want to participate need to send their music, or footage from a performance, to Jones. Submissions can be e-mailed to: learn@goodvibrationsmusic.net. Files of performances or links to them on social networking sites and YouTube will be accepted as well.

Space is limited. All submissions must be received by Feb. 17.