Join us for a special Seniors' Week edition of Forever Young at Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, featuring interactive experiences for all ages that spark memories, inspire creativity, and create connections across generations.
If you’ve ever thought about learning an instrument but weren’t sure where to begin, this is the perfect place to start! Join us on June 3 for a relaxed, beginner-friendly introduction to the ukulele led by musician and educator Evan Rothery.
No prior experience is needed. You'll be surprised how quickly you can start making music!
About Evan Rothery
Be it on YouTube, the stage, or in the classroom, Evan loves to teach about the intersection of music, wellness, science, and technology. After earning a Theatre Performance Diploma from Mount Royal College, Evan started his career producing, directing, and acting in plays. This gave him the opportunity to work with a number of amazing theatre companies across Canada, including Alberta Theatre Projects, The Only Animal, and Blacklist Theatre (where he won an acting award for playing eccentric Canadian pianist Glenn Gould).
Evan’s other major passion has always been music. Originally a Suzuki violin student, he has spent his entire life exploring how different musical instruments work. This eventually led him to earn a Bachelor of Music, with a major in Composition at the University of Calgary. From 2010-2024, Evan spent most of his time using the instrument collection at the National Music Centre to teach members of the public and students on field trips. This kept him on his toes, often needing to demonstrate a large variety of instruments, from harpsichords, hammered dulcimers, mandolins and banjos, to saxophones, flutes and trumpets, to loopers, synthesizers, drum machines, and pipe organs (Evan has never met an instrument he didn’t like). Evan also had the amazing opportunity to help design exhibits and experiences for the opening of Studio Bell, home of the National Music Centre, in 2016, including the musical makerspace Soundbox.
Since 2018, Evan has been leading drop-in jam-alongs at the Calgary Public Library, Carya Village Commons, and a variety of other spaces. These sessions invite people to bring an instrument and play and sing along to slides featuring the lyrics and chords. These experiences have been hugely rewarding, and have been the driving force behind the desire to create new groove-based activities for group music making.
About Forever Young: Seniors' Wednesdays
Forever Young celebrates lifelong connections to music, offering free Studio Bell admission for music lovers aged 65 and up every Wednesday. This engaging program invites seniors and their families to explore Canada’s musical heritage across five floors of exhibitions, bringing to life the stories — and soundtrack — of their generation through rare memorabilia and hands-on activities. Part of the National Music Centre’s commitment to using music as a tool for wellbeing, Forever Young creates welcoming spaces for seniors to gather and connect with music, community, and each other. Monthly drop-in programs will feature a variety of interactive experiences for all ages that spark memories, inspire creativity, and create connections across generations.
Studio Bell admission is free for seniors every Wednesday thanks to the Government of Canada’s New Horizons for Seniors Program.
