Music School offers veterans guitar lessons

North Valley Music School has partnered with Veterans Upward Bound and the Kalispell Vet Center to launch a Learn to Play Guitar class for veterans. This free group class is offered to qualifying participants who are eligible to take classes funded by the Veterans Upward Bound Program. Group music lessons offer a sense of community, a healthy creative outlet, and means to integrate back to the simple joys in life.

Learn to Play classes are held in a safe, accessible and supportive environment where participants are encouraged to learn, play, grow and explore the life-changing power of music. Montana has the nation’s second largest population of veterans, with Flathead County having the most veterans per capita in the state.

“For our veterans, we are finding nontraditional therapy such as music is an extremely effective therapeutic tool to improve the daily life and functioning for individuals with trauma exposure and PTSD,” Kalispell Vet Center Outreach Program coordinator Adam Jones said. “We offered this class in 2020 and our veterans really enjoyed it. Unfortunately the classes were cut short due to COVID. We are glad to be able to offer it again this year.”

Veterans Learn to Play Guitar classes begin Jan. 3 and continue through March 23, on Wednesdays, noon to 1 p.m. This group class is designed for beginning to intermediate musicians. Music books are provided. Instruments may possibly be available on request. Veterans’ Upward Bound is funded by a grant through the US Dept. of Education and is charged with providing educational and support services to veterans. It is the only federal education program specifically created to serve the needs of veterans.

North Valley Music School is located at 432 Spokane Ave. Whitefish.

To register, go to northvalleymusicschool.org/veteransprograms or call 406-862-8074.