Daily Inspiration: Meet Jane Ball

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jane Ball.

Hi Jane, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself. 
In 2015, I was a cellist in the Fenton Community Orchestra. I was asked to be on the FCO Board. While on the board, I was asked to help find a director/conductor for the new String Orchestra they were hoping to start. This was to be a feeder orchestra for the FCO, providing more string players to the group. 

The new group, Simply Strings, was formed in 2016 with 11 members, with me as the Musical Director/Conductor… We had 11 folks. Mostly senior citizens who had never played before and were just beginning to learn their instruments. We 3 added members of the FCO who came to play with us and help the “Newbies.” In the summer of 2017, when the season was over, I was informed by my players that we were going to continue to rehearse in the summer. They had talked to my boss, Mark, at Mark Schwartz Violins, and he had agreed to let us rehearse in the shop for the summer. Since we had so few players, it wasn’t a problem. 

Since that time, the group has been slowly growing to 50 players during the season. During the summer, we get a lot of different folks to join in. We average 45 players in the summer, but with vacations and such, it is all over the map. Some of our members drive from Vassar, Freeland, Shelby Township, Owosso, Perry, Corunna, Howell, Rochester Hill, and Flint. We have members ages 14 to over 80 years old. We come from diverse backgrounds, economic status, and political affiliations. We just love music and each other. 

The purpose of this group is to provide a warm, caring, nurturing, and fun atmosphere to encourage folks who are new to string playing. We become family. We help each other. We are NOT perfect. As a former public school String Educator, I try to teach them all the skills they need to know to be able to play in a group. They are challenged weekly with new material, some of which I provide and some that they need to look up on their own. 

We get a little goofy because we can. Last year was the year of the Chicken. We played the Chicken Dance, the Chicken Foot Transplant, had chicken puppets, sqeaker chickens, and felt chicken feet for the endpins of the cello section! 

This year seems to be about Crocodile Rock and Elton John glasses. 

Thursday nights are our special time when our families know that we will not be home for dinner, but we will be at orchestra, playing music and making new friends. We hope to be organized to play in some Senior Centers as well as our other concerts. 

This group has evolved into something very special. We hope that you can come and hear us some time. 

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back, would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Some of the struggles we have had include trying to find a place to rehearse in the summertime. The Transfiguration Lutheran Church has been our home for our Saturday Program and our Summer Strings for several years. We appreciate them so much. If our numbers grow much more, however, we will be looking for a new space. Simply Strings is fully supported by the Fenton Community Orchestra and Board. They are appreciated and have helped in many ways to provide the funding and logistical support for our orchestra.

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I, Jane Ball, have been playing my cello for 58 years. I enjoy playing in orchestras, quartets, pit orchestras, and more. I actually started teaching cello students when I was in high school. 

I graduated from Miami University with a Bachelor’s Degree in Music Education, with a minor in Strings. I have done master’s work at Wright State University and Central Michigan University in String Education. 

I have taught Strings in the public schools in Troy, Ohio, and Okemos, MI. 

I have had a private violin, cello, and piano studio since I was 18. 

I hold certifications as a Suzuki cello teacher and the Paul Rolland String Pedagogy. 

I am a member of the American String Teachers Association (ASTA). 

What matters most to you? Why?
What matters is that I find effective ways to convey my knowledge to other musicians. I want them to be successful. A more diverse base of knowledge will help them do that. I want them to love music! 

Contact Info:

• Website: fentoncommunityorchestra.org