Joy of Music School

He’s a professional wrestler—in the ring he goes by “Kane”— so it’s not surprising Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs towers over most people. But he sees eye-to-eye with everyone on the lasting benefit of music mentoring for children. Mayor Jacobs toured the Joy of Music School last fall to see firsthand the many good things that are happening inside our walls. He met with board members, staff, volunteers, and some of our kids. During his visit Mayor Jacobs glowingly noted the School’s organized appearance, the positive messages on the walls, and the friendly, energized vibe among the people making it all happen. As a performer, the Mayor knows the importance of study, practice, grace under pressure, and having a mentor guide you. Come back any time, Mr. Mayor!

Eric, respected professional photographer and owner of E.L. Smith Graphix, has been photographing performing artists for over 40 years. That also includes JoMS recitals and fundraisers. He has never sent us a bill. Thank you, Eric!

Volunteering at the Joy of Music School is a family affair for Ben Koester, Mary Ruth Whitten and Jenny Lynn Whitten. The girls are sisters and Ben is their cousin, and it’s our great fortune to have all three of them teaching piano lessons to our grateful students. Ben, who is 20 and a junior chemical engineering major at UT, was the first one through our doors back in 2015. He’d been taking private piano lessons for years and his instructor encouraged him to come see us. “I really fell in love with the School,” he recalls. “Music is a gift, and it’s something not everyone can have access to.” Ben’s students this year are Jonathan and Janee. Mary Ruth, 18, decided to volunteer as a teacher during Ben’s freshman year at UT, in part because it was a way for her to see her cousin once a week even though he was in college. “I was a bit nervous at first,” Mary Ruth says of teaching. “I didn’t really know where to start with my two students.” Julie Carter, the School’s Director of Music Education, recommended she start with a book called Piano Adventures. “The first few pages kind of lay it all out and you can just follow along,” says Mary Ruth. Her students are Tico and Tim. Jenny Lynn, 15, started teaching last fall. Like her cousins, she wasn’t certain her years of taking piano lessons would prepare to teach beginners. In fact, it’s going great. “It’s so much fun!” she says. “And it feels really good to give back.” Jenny Lynn works with students Olivia and David. The three cousins are related through their mothers, Mary Koester and Kathy Whitten, who are sisters and live within a few blocks of each other in Alcoa. At the moment they’re our biggest group of related teachers, notes Ed Sublett, the School’s Volunteer and Facilities Manager. He describes the trio as “amazingly sweet,” adding that “they’re all very consistent and come in every time to teach. It’s a really nice family.”

Our relationship with the Berklee City Music Network—an affiliate of Boston’s famous Berklee College of Music — has brought our students so many good things over the years. The latest example: a box of six brand-new Izotopes for our students to use! An Izotope is an eight-track recording device that pairs with, and is controlled by, a smart phone. It has a built-in microphone and a “Soundcheck” feature that sets gain levels automatically. Instead of tweaking various knobs to get the sound right, you basically just turn it on and press record. “It’s stupidly easy to use,” in the words of Volunteer and Facilities Manager Ed Sublett, who quickly got them into the hands of teachers and students.

Our student Christopher-Lawson is on a roll! Last year he auditioned for and earned spots in both the Knoxville Christian Youth Band (trumpet) and the Knoxville Youth Jazz Orchestra (piano). And that’s not all. This busy 13-year-old, who takes trumpet lessons from our volunteer teacher Seth Hall, also has been in plays with the Knoxville Children’s Theatre, has been singing with the Knoxville Choral Society, was one of five “Rising Star” finalists in the 2020 Ace Singing Awards, was invited to sing as a guest soloist at the Overcoming Believers Church, and recently began mentoring with music professor Donald Brown at the University of Tennessee. Phew! On top of all that, he got accepted into Juilliard’s summertime Junior Jazz Academy, he has a major role in an upcoming feature film called “Marbles and Bullets,” and he appears in new public service announcement from the Knoxville YWCA. Christopher-Lawson’s mom, Muntazz, is his singing teacher. She’s a New Orleans native and a graduate of its Center for Creative Arts. Her daughter, Saiya, is also a talented musician and is taking flute lessons at the Joy of Music School. Saiya was accepted to Harvard University’s Pre-College Program for summer 2020 and will be studying American History Through Musicals. Despite all of Christopher-Lawson’s artistic endeavors, you might be surprised to know they’re not actually his most loved activity. “My favorite is tennis,” he explains. “I’ve been playing since I was 4.”

Lt. Col. Luther B. True, a U.S. Navy and Air Force veteran, served in World War II and Vietnam, ultimately landing a job in Oak Ridge at the K-25 gaseous diffusion plant. He played trumpet —including quite a few years as a member of the Babahachie Community Concert Band—and was an avid music lover.Lt. Col. True, who died this year at 93, was also kind enough to make a bequest to the Joy of Music School in his will! He left us a beautiful, gleaming silver Sonare trumpet, two excellent mouthpieces, an assortment of mutes, two first-rate trumpet cases, and a modest cash gift to help pay for music programs for kids who need it most.Lt. Col. True learned about our mission in retirement and came to visit the School back in 2012. That was when he told JoMS Executive Director Frank Graffeo about his will. Frank gratefully made a note of it, and carried on. “I’d never gotten such a message in such a way,” Frank recalls. “He knew exactly what he wanted to do. You could hear it in his voice and see it in his eyes. He didn’t appear frail or ill back then. I expected him to outlive me! I was surprised to learn his age when he passed.” An American hero named Luther B. True did well by the School in his passing. We are charmed, thankful, and honored. If you’d like to leave the School anything in your will, we’d also be honored! Feel free to call Frank Graffeo at 865-525-6806 and he’ll be happy to talk it over with you.

What better way to tell the world you support the arts than with a Tennessee Arts Commission Arts plate on your car? Tennessee drivers can purchase Specialty License Plates in place of the normally issued plate. A portion of the proceeds from the sale of these plates supports the organization featured, so it’s a great opportunity to boost the cause you care about most. The Arts Plate, which Frank is attaching to his car in the photo here, supports the Tennessee Arts Commission. So do as the motto says, “Support the Arts. Bolt them to your car!” Just take your old plate to your county clerk and swap it—they will prorate your tag fees, so you don’t have to wait until your tag renewal is due. Learn more at http://tnspecialtyplates.org/

Please give a warm Joy of Music School “hello!” to our newest employee, Rymelle Dotson. She’s our School Administrator/Receptionist — which means she’s the first person most of our students and their families see when they enter our building. One of Rymelle’s first projects is getting to know every student, because she wants to greet each of them by name as they come in. As the school year wraps up, and we move into the summer, Rymelle has been helping with our social media presence, and administrative projects. She’s handling data reporting ranging from attendance to parent and student surveys. Rymelle, who’s 23, grew up in Knoxville and, while she just started working here in February, she and the JoMS go way back. She took flute lessons here as a little girl! Another fun fact about Rymelle: Her older brother, Taber Gable, is a professional jazz pianist and one of our most accomplished former students. (See “A Night of Food, Jazz and Smiles” on page 4.) Rymelle used to work at Pond Gap Elementary School, where she taught after-school art classes. She’s about to wrap up her second year as a student at Pellissippi State Community College, and she aims to continue her education at the University of Tennessee starting in the fall. Her major is Public Relations. How’s it going so far at the Joy of Music School? “Everyone is so nice and kind,” she says. “They treat me like I’ve been here forever. I guess I kind of have!”We’re glad to have you back, Rymelle!

Is it better to be lucky than good? How about both? Our March fundraiser, Dining for Joy, was both. Except “good” doesn’t do it justice; it was GREAT! Fans of jazz and friends of the Joy of Music School gathered on what in hindsight feels like the last day before the pandemic shut down everything (lucky). Food trucks outside dispensed pasta, fried okra, and burritos in perfect alternating sync with intermittent showers (also lucky). Oh, and also in perfect alternating sync were event headliner, world-renowned saxophonist Greg Tardy, and distinguished JoMS alum, New York pianist Taber Gable (truly great). They were joined by Robert Linton on bass, and Griffin Photoglou on the drums. The jazz was energized and scintillating. The event had an aura of excellence and, importantly, achievement, as JoMS student Alyssa performed a beguiling violin solo. Smiles, applause, and generosity were abundant. All of the performers donated their services, while attendees and sponsors chipped in to the tune of over $10,000 toward our programs for musical kids who need it most (greater than great). Afterward, desserts were sampled as fans stood in line to show their appreciation to Greg and Taber, who along with all the other musicians donated their performances. After an experience like that, we’re all feeling lucky.

Life is not normal right now. We remember normal. Wasn’t it just a few weeks ago? While the staff and volunteers of the Joy of Music School pursue an augmented mission of getting kids’ musical lives back to as close to normal as possible, there are some unique and innovative things happening. As the staff began setting up dozens and dozens of weekly lessons for students and teachers via video link, we learned that connecting everyone brings out our creativity and problem-solving skills. One family with two JoMS piano students said there’s no way they could do their lessons online because their laptop (and its built-in camera) has a nonfunctional battery, and it’s 20 feet away from their piano. They can’t unplug it, and it’s way too far away for a video lesson. But wouldn’t a long power extension cord help? Well, yes, if they had wifi. But they do not. The laptop is connected to the internet via an ethernet cable, and it’s shorter than the power cord! Then inspiration struck! We sent them a long, long ethernet cable. They plug the laptop into a power outlet near the piano, run the ethernet cable to their node, and Zoom! — piano lessons are happening every week now for two deserving kids. That’s just one example of how our team of staff and volunteers are spreading the Joy of Music all across the area in impressive and creative ways. Our mission remains the same — but adjustments are happening every day. I couldn’t be prouder of our families, our team, and especially our kids as they keep the music alive. This challenge helps us stretch our minds, and refocuses us on our mission to the community, and especially to our students. Let’s stay connected!