A mission to build community and love of shared music

MILLERTON — There is a landmark just off the Harlem Valley Rail Trail that can’t be missed when taking a walk, run or ride up the trail: The Music Cellar. The deep red building with the open porch welcomes anyone who is drawn by the sound of music of all kinds, and that is happening just about all the time there.

It began around 2010, according to Jonny G., owner and instructor (also known as Jonathan Grusauskas of lespecial, described as a progtronic power trio on their Instagram page, @lespecialmusic, and website, www.lespecial.net. They are touring all over the country right now.) The first iteration of the Music Cellar was on South Center Street, underneath Oblong Books where the T-Shirt Farm is now located. “It was more like a Music Closet,” said Grusauskas in a recent phone interview. “That’s how small it was.”

Now, there is much more space for instruments of all kinds, for which there are individual instructors for private lessons, especially guitar, bass, drums and piano. There are also group lessons for younger children, a “toddler jam.” Asked who the children say are their musical idols, Grusauskas wrote in an email, “It really runs the gamut: Metallica, Taylor Swift, LCD Soundsystem, Polyphia, are just some of the bands that I’ve had requests for teaching their material to our students. The geezer in me is pleased that kids still listen to music with guitars in it, as virtual music is huge right now. Like my 4-year-old student, Isaac, loves Tom Petty, and can recognize his songs within one second of hearing the intro. I’m not so sure our toddler jam participants have idols beyond their parents and instructors, but our older students show me lots of music I’ve never heard before. They’re probably my greatest source for current music! Of course I try to show them classic stuff like James Brown, John Coltrane, Louis Armstrong, Eddie Palmieri, which can be met with varying levels of enthusiasm. Every student is different, and getting to know what gets their wheels turning helps us shape our approach to teaching them.”

When asked about activity with lessons at any given time in the building, he wrote that his goal is to fill the daily schedule so someone is always learning there. “We certainly have lessons every day, of all age ranges, taught by myself and five wonderfully talented instructors. Monte Stone teaches vocals; Mason Harney teaches piano, guitar, and songwriting; Michael Lesko teaches drums and songwriting; Rory Dolan teaches drums; and Li Sabas teaches guitar and coaches band rehearsals, like the wonderfully talented family band ‘The Saylers.’ I teach drums, guitar, keys, and a little trumpet, as well as recording and music production via the Ableton Live software. Charlie Keil, who was one of my teachers as a kid, and who taught some of MY idols at SUNY Buffalo (the percussionist and drummer for the jam-band moe.), teaches percussion every Sunday at 3 p.m. Charlie’s mission is our mission, to provide an encouraging environment for the building of community and intra-personal skills via musical skill building. In short, to get kids grooving together, at the earliest possible age!”

The Music Cellar provides musical accessibility, he wrote, in the face of budget cuts and lack of prioritization of the creative arts and music in school curriculums. “Music is not a specialization, it is a human skill that connects us all through rhythm, harmony and movement. Music theory is a science of its own kind, ethnomusicology teaches us about the world and its cultures, learning to play in concert with others is hugely and obviously applicable to the development of a young person, and the discipline required to uphold a practice regimen on one’s instrument has benefits innumerable.”

The goal for the future is to be able to sustain the model of offering music lessons for all, on a “pay what you can afford” basis.

There are also bike rentals at the building, which are set up so that bikes can be easily rented off the front porch with no need for lesson interruptions by just texting 860-806-1442. Contact the Music Cellar through Jonny G, owner/instructor (guitar/drums/keys/trumpet/recording/bikes) at 860-806-1442 or  musiccellarlessons@gmail.com.

The band members of lespecial relax on the Music Cellar porch: From left, Luke Bemand, Rory Dolan and Jonathan Grusauskas. Photo submitted