What happens when music becomes more than something you do and becomes part of who you are?

For Mon Valley Academy for the Arts Community Liaison and longtime musician Jerry Onesi, the answer has been nearly six decades in the making.

In the latest episode of MVAA’s Off the Wall podcast, Jerry talks about his life in music, his work with MVAA, and why creating opportunities for the next generation of musicians matters so much to him.

Jerry has been performing since 1967. Primarily a bass player, he also plays electric guitar and mandolin and continues to perform regularly throughout southwestern Pennsylvania and the surrounding region. Music was part of his life from the beginning. His father was a drummer, trumpet player, and singer, and Jerry remembers Christmases when instruments such as bongos and ukuleles would find their way into his hands. Today, Jerry brings that lifetime of experience to MVAA as our Community Liaison. His responsibilities include helping coordinate the summer music series at Chess Park in Monongahela, where musicians perform during the weekly farmers market. It is a simple example of something central to MVAA’s mission: bringing music directly into the communities we serve.

For Jerry, the reason that work matters is equally straightforward.

“We all know how the schools are cutting programs,” he explains in the interview. That makes finding new ways to reach young people and communities throughout the region increasingly important.

Giving the Next Generation a Chance to Try

One program Jerry discusses is EARS, Empower A Rising Star, MVAA’s scholarship program that provides students with ten private music lessons at no cost to their families.

The opportunity to simply try an instrument matters.

As Jerry explains, the cost of lessons can prevent a young person from discovering whether they enjoy music or have an aptitude for it. Through EARS, students can explore music without requiring their families to make a significant financial commitment before they even know where that exploration might lead.

Jerry knows firsthand what early exposure to music can mean. He was surrounded by it as a child, and nearly 60 years after he began performing, music remains part of his life. He believes some of the young people introduced to music through MVAA may have the same experience.

They may become professional musicians. They may join a community ensemble. They may simply play piano at home for their own enjoyment.

All of those outcomes matter.

Music Creates Community

Jerry also performs with MVAA’s Sam Bill Legacy Band, our all-ages community ensemble. His description of the group captures something important about what we hope people find when they walk through MVAA’s doors.

New musicians are encouraged not to worry about making mistakes. Everyone is learning together, and everyone is working toward making something worthwhile together.

That same philosophy extends beyond our classrooms and ensembles.

Jerry describes watching people come from the nearby high-rise to enjoy MVAA-supported performances at Chess Park, sometimes walking and sometimes arriving on scooters. For some, he says, it may be their only entertainment of the week.

“I see the smiles on their faces,” Jerry says. “That for me is very satisfying.”

That is community arts in its most fundamental form. It is not simply about creating musicians. It is about creating opportunities for people to gather, participate, listen, learn and belong.

Looking Toward MVAA’s Next Ten Years

As MVAA celebrates ten years of music, legacy and community, Jerry is also thinking about what comes next.

He would like to see younger people become involved at the board level and help carry the organization forward. He also sees another challenge on the horizon: space.

With multiple music lessons sometimes happening simultaneously and continued interest in MVAA programs, Jerry believes the organization may eventually outgrow its current home at the Peter J. Daley Cultural Center.

Growth brings challenges, but it also tells us something important.

People want music.

Young people want opportunities to learn it. Adults want opportunities to continue playing it. Communities want places where they can experience it together.

And after nearly 60 years as a musician, Jerry Onesi is helping MVAA make sure those opportunities remain available for the next generation.

Watch the full episode of Off the Wall: Board of Directors – Jerry Onesi on the Mon Valley Academy for the Arts YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9vHZDJYyKPE