By Tricia Chambers
Stay away from the Senior Center at 1303 Fremont Street if you don’t like to have fun. And if you abhor music, you would definitely want to stay away from Room 232 on Wednesday afternoons when Donna Jeler heads up the Senior Band class.
Go anywhere near that open classroom door and chances are you’ll be struck defenseless during an afternoon that will fly by. Should you find yourself perched atop one of the seats along the wall, consider yourself a goner. You will walk out singing a different tune.
Jeler and her 30 or so students won’t mind a bit. They will be belting out
songs like “Alabama Jubilee” and “Sugar Blues.” Members take turns performing solos that they sing at the front of the room.
“Our band is a very special group of seniors,” Jeler said. “We love playing music together and sharing it with others to enjoy.”
I’ll say! Apparently this is purpose of the seats that I am told are frequently all occupied. In fact, the band enjoys performing so much that they play the pre-show music for Showtime (founded by long-time city resident Cleo Stuckrath in 1982), the annual production that supports the Senior Center Health and Wellness Program.
The band also plays a standing-schedule of outreach programs to retirement facilities in Mountain View and Los Altos.
“We give an hour of entertainment, so that’s nice,” Jeler said. “We do songs that sometimes reminds people of their past. The beautiful part is that we’ve never had to turn down a gig.”
Age wise, the average member may be 75, but still, it takes a wide variety of people to round out the group. Many members know how to play an instrument and many haven’t played for years and “lost their touch.”
“My oldest member is a 94-year-old lady,” said Jeler. “She comes in a wheelchair with her daughter and caregiver. She plays perfect; her mind is perfect. She has perfect attendance.”
If you don’t want to get sucked into the room, don’t confess your lifetime dream of learning to playing an instrument. Before you know it, you’ll be stretching your fingers along a ruler and getting advice on good places to buy your first instrument.
At its inception, Senior Band was primarily comprised of ukuleles. Today it’s expanded to include instruments like guitars, a saxophone, autoharp and harmonica. Several members like Jim Harget of the South Bay Traditional Jazz Society even have their own band.
Due to budget cuts throughout the Santa Clara Unified School District, Senior Band was forced to trim two sessions from the Spring term and four from the Summer term.
No matter. The class is going so strong that Jeler ordered blue shirts with an emblem on back in the beginning of the year.
“It’s beautiful,” Jeler said. “We interchange and share companionship.”
The curriculum does not allow for a one-on-one instruction but it’s possible to get extra help.
“Two women members arrive early. They will take someone step by step,” she said.
The Fall session begins in September. For more information, call (408) 423-3500 or log onto http://www.scae.org
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