The ancient Greeks had a special word that captured the serendipity of “right place, right time”: kairos. For Russ and Katie Grazier, the right place was Portsmouth, and the right time was 2002 when the City of Portsmouth’s cultural plan put a spotlight on arts education in its call for an independent community arts center. With two decades of music education already behind him — including teaching at Roosevelt University, the University of Chicago, and the New England Conservatory — Grazier was primed to take advantage of the opportunity. Together with partner Katie, who had cultivated diverse work in non-profit and corporate settings, the two created the nexus of cultural learning that is the Portsmouth Music and Arts Center, aka PMAC.
Having grown up in New Hampshire and spent time in cities like Boston and Chicago, Grazier had an eye for recognizing Portsmouth’s unique position as a small metropolis nestled between the larger cities of Boston, Portland, and Manchester. In the decades preceding the development of PMAC, the people of Portsmouth had built a rich foundation of food, performance, and tourist offerings that inspired both residents and visitors like a city multiple times its size. “For 50 years, the impact in Portsmouth had far outweighed its population,” Russ explains. “The city was signaling that it wanted something like [PMAC] to happen.”
What started with 12 students on day one in 2003 has since grown to 2000. Many Seacoast residents know of the extensive selection of classes that PMAC offers youth throughout the year, from mandolin and world drumming, to comic book creation and collage. Just as profound, however, are the creative doors that PMAC opens for adults of all ages. In his TEDx Portsmouth talk, Russ makes an exuberant, persuasive argument about the dangers of loneliness and the power of music to lift older adults out of the shadows of social isolation. “We see people from 60 to 80 picking up an instrument for the first time in 50 years,” Russ says. “It’s magical, especially in a group.” For these adults, he asserts, the magic extends beyond their enjoyment and into their overall health and wellness.
This attention to community-based adult arts education has been a part of PMAC’s mission since the start. Based on the New Horizon’s philosophy, which aims to provide spaces for adults to start or continue their musical lives, PMAC invites adults of all degrees of musical knowledge — including none at all — to gather and make music. “There is a trope: when you get older it’s never too late,” explains Russ. “I like to say it’s never too early. The sooner you start, the more benefit it’s going to have physically and mentally in your longevity, and the easier it will be to sustain it.” Whether it’s alternative rock, jazz, bluegrass, or chorus, adults are welcome to bring their intentions, their joy, and any level of experience.
For the older student who feels hesitant to get started, Russ offers an encouraging message: go for it. As adults, he reflects, we have a tendency to shy away from playing music because we think it has to sound a certain way. “So many people lack an inherent confidence that they could actually do and achieve something like this. Confidence is the biggest thing — having the confidence to know that it is okay to sound like a beginner.” For students who want to be professional musicians, the training is there. However, the pure joy of the experience is where PMAC’s heart lies.
With its eye on continuing to sustain what it has grown, PMAC leans on its robust staff and the support of its board and patrons to keep it strong. Arts education is no stranger to the fear of losing resources, but PMAC families who have experienced the fulfillment of its benefits know that protecting this sacred space means protecting the soul of the city, where it will always be the right place and the right time for the arts.
“So many people lack an inherent confidence that they could actually do and achieve something like this. Confidence is the biggest thing — having the confidence to know that it is okay to sound like a beginner.”