Sponsored by the Frasier Musical Arts Committee, in connection with the current pledge drive supporting the Frasier Music Studio Project, this special event was entertaining for residents and staff, and helped to raise funds for the studio.
Bill has been a driving force (like “a dog with a bone” as someone said), in promoting the development of the music studio, which will house the Bonnie Carol and Max Krimmel instrument collection as well as providing a musically welcoming space for residents to “jam” or learn new instruments. He recruited his sons to stop by Frasier and help support these efforts…and they happily volunteered!
Music is a passion in the Wood family. From early in their childhood in Boulder, Chris and Oliver were exposed to folk music. Bill, a molecular biologist, sang songs with guitar at campfires and family gatherings, while their mother Renate, a poet, instilled a passion for storytelling.
After high school, their paths, musical and otherwise, diverged until they jammed together informally at a family reunion in 2005 and discovered they could “read each other’s minds” musically. Soon afterward, they formed The Wood Brothers, and later added percussionist and keyboard player Jano Rix to the band. Their music is a combination of folk, gospel, blues, and jazz. Among the several albums they have released, their 6th, “One Drop of Truth” received a 2018 Grammy nomination in the Americana category.
Their appearance at the Boulder senior living community benefited the Frasier Music Studio Project – the creation of a sound-isolated room with temperature and humidity controls for sensitive instruments, in a currently unfinished space. The estimated total cost to complete the studio will be around $300,000. Thanks to the generous support of Frasier residents and others, including several large gifts in response to fundraising efforts during the past year, over $200,000 has now been raised for the project. Construction is planned to start in late summer 2022 with completion targeted by the end of the year.
“Considering the brain benefits music and learning to play new instruments can bring, as well as the social component, having this studio for our residents will help support vibrant aging,” stated Colleen Ryan Mallon, Frasier’s VP of Marketing and Advancement.