Guitar classes striking a chord at The Third Place
Guitar classes striking a chord at The Third Place
26 May 2021
Major Darryl Robinson (back left), Major Kaylene Robinson (front left) and Major Lyn Jones (centre front) are excited to see Just Guitar participants building connections.
Strumming a chord on the guitar will boost anyone’s mood – and thanks to an initiative at The Third Place in Perth, people are being given a chance to make connections through music.
The Just Guitar program began at The Salvation Army thrift shop at Fremantle more than a year ago under the direction of Corps Officers Majors Darryl and Kaylene Robinson.
So, when an opportunity arose to expand the program, Mission Leader Major Lyn Jones leapt at the chance to include the program at The Third Place in the Perth suburb of Subiaco.
“The Third Place [a Salvation Army missional expression] exists to get people out in the community where they can meet others and journey in life together,” Lyn said. “We use the old Subiaco Corps building and create space for people, giving them as many diverse activities as possible.”
The Third Place is already the home of multiple support groups – among them Alcoholics Anonymous and ‘Just Men’ – and has a community cafe and a choir for people experiencing Alzheimer’s disease. So, when Darryl and Kaylene [now retired] caught up with Lyn over lunch one day and heard about her work, they offered to help out with Just Guitar.
A connection with the local Salvos Stores meant a handful of guitars were donated, and the new iteration of Just Guitar was on its way. In the first four weeks of the program starting at The Third Place, at least 16 people per session arrived, and numbers have continued to rise.
“It has really taken off. Some people come and have a chat over coffee beforehand, and we even have some people from the Fremantle thrift shop coming because our venue is bigger,” said Lyn.
With space for beginners and more accomplished musicians, the emerging group is working towards performances. And through it all, the message of Christ rings true.
“Music connects everybody in one way or another,” says Lyn. “Darryl doesn’t waste an opportunity to tell people about Jesus. Eventually, we hope they may play at our community lunch and other programs that we run. That’s how connection happens.”
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