Lionel Ward works through the chords of the folk song “She’ll be Comin’ ’Round the Mountain,” with Mark Smith, 7, who recently started lessons.
The music rooms in Belvoir’s Community Center are filled with aural activity.
Passersby can hear the downbeat of the drums, strumming of strings and plinking of the piano as Harvey Jacobson, Jay Reynolds and Lionel Ward hold court.
These three talented and creative men, who find music key to their lives, take the time to teach students of all levels several nights a week, sharing their love of music and the joy they find in performing it.
Ward, a well-known Elvis tribute artist and leader of Lionel Ward and the New World Band, believes in the happiness music brings people.
“Music lifts the burdens of everyday life. I believe we were all chosen to do certain things in life. Mine was music,” Ward said. “I do not control the music in my life. It controls me.”
Ward, who plays at venues across the area, started his devotion to music at age 9. He said he tries to pass the deep appreciation and magic he feels to those he teaches.
“The beauty of music is how it energizes the soul. Music is a magic carpet ride through life. A song can take you anywhere you want to be,” Ward said.
Percussionist Reynolds, an Alexandria native, remembers practicing the Hawaii Five-O drum beat until it drove his parents crazy.
He pursued his interest, eventually spending six years in Nashville as part of the Grand Ole Opry band before returning to this area. Now he teaches, enjoying the time he can spend giving back, and performs with Ward’s band.
A certified music therapist, the piano struck a chord with Jacobson when he was 13, and, he says, has been essential to his identity since. He has performed at Carnegie Hall and the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, and teaches at Northern Virginia Community College.
“I like to see children develop; you can see the dedication in certain students. That’s why I teach.” Jacobson said. “You get satisfaction out of the process of helping students learn how to do something well.”
Piano, acoustic and electric guitar, and drum lessons are offered year-round. For more information, call the Community Center at 703-805-3714.
