Bath resident creates innovative music program

by Wendy Turrell

Bath resident Geoff Tanner took time for reflection during the COVID-19 lockdown, and the creative timeout inspired a musical enrichment program called “Opening Track” for the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio.

Tanner is the chief commercial and marketing officer for the J.M. Smucker Company. During last year’s COVID-induced slow-down, he was reconsidering his role in leadership and found out the Cleveland area is first in the nation for child poverty. He said the juxtaposition reinforced his belief that, “Leadership must extend outward from the company to the community. We have an obligation to help.”

Tanner’s self-described passion is music. After years of childhood piano lessons, which he admitted did not take well, he decided to relearn piano in his early 30s by teaching himself using contemporary music. During the process, he found he had a gift for composition. “I think the thing I like to do most is write songs,” he said.

He knew school districts had drastically cut music programs and began to research the connection between childhood learning, life skills enrichment, and music. He realized music could reach kids in many ways and his idea to develop a holistic musical program for children was born.

Tanner said it was “synchronicity,” that just weeks after having the idea he received a phone call to join the board of the Boys & Girls Clubs of Northeast Ohio.

His program, Opening Track, uses music to introduce children to different cultural and performance experiences, build confidence, encourage movement and creativity, help deal with trauma and stress, reinforce learning and test-taking ability and provide socialization, among other benefits.

The after-school program was launched in September in four Ohio Boys & Girls Clubs in the Northeast district: the Broadway Club in Cleveland, the Elyria South Club, the Sandusky Teen Center and the LeBron James Clubhouse at Joy Park in Akron.

Program spokesman Ken Wood said activities got a head start this summer, when kids attended a Cleveland Orchestra concert at Blossom Music Center. Future plans this semester include taking students to the play “The Color Purple” in Youngstown, and going to a Cleveland Orchestra concert at Severance Hall.

Recently in Opening Track, children at the LeBron James Clubhouse learned how to play drums and percussion instruments together. Opening Track Program Coordinator Arielle Green said that attendance more than tripled due to peer enthusiasm, from just four kids at the first session, to 14 at the third drumming session.

Tanner knows the importance of understanding what kids want, as well as need. “They have to choose to be involved with Boys & Girls Clubs. It’s not part of school,” he said. “We have to deliver programs they want to be part of.”

Another aspect of the program is the Opening Track Collective band. Tanner calls it “a mission-based band” with hopes of raising awareness of child poverty by engaging peoples’ emotions. Tanner and his friend, professional musician Chad Hoffman, collaborated on writing eight original upbeat songs, which were recorded under the direction of multi-platinum producer Jim Wirt at Cleveland’s Superior Sound studio. Boys & Girls Club members were the backup singers.

Tanner called the day of recording “magical” and said he will never forget when one girl from the Boys & Girls Club said, “Thank you for making me feel like a rock star today.” He hopes someday the children can perform a benefit concert.

Since arriving from his native New Zealand to attend Duke University, Tanner has lived in many places in the U.S., but said he believes Opening Track could not have taken root as quickly or whole-heartedly anywhere else. “This area has a unique confluence of musical history, heritage, a network of organizations, and a solid sense of community,” he said.

The Smucker Company provided the first seed money for Opening Track and community cultural partners have provided a variety of experiences and instruction including the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame, Great Lakes Theater, The Music Settlement, the Cleveland Orchestra, The Summit radio station (WAPS 91.3 FM), Open Tone Music, DeYor Performing Arts Center in Youngstown, and the University of Akron. Tanner said he is always looking for more Northeastern Ohio artists and organizations to come forward with partnership ideas.

Tanner said there are over 4,000 clubs and four million children in Boys & Girls Clubs nationwide. The Northeast Ohio amalgamated group is the third largest in the country with 40 clubs. Tanner said he’d like to see Opening Track expand to all Boys & Girls Clubs. It would take $300,000 to roll the program out across the country. Given the overwhelmingly positive response by northeast Ohio Boys & Girls Clubs and community partners, he is confident that goal may be within reach. ∞