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ROB MCCLENDON: WELL MUSICAL TASTES CERTAINLY VARY FROM GENERATION TO
GENERATION, BUT ONE GROUP OF OKLAHOMANS IS HOPING TO SPAN THAT GAP WITH A
WEEKLY GET-TOGETHER.
OUR KELA KELLN EXPLAINS.
KELA KELLN: LOCATED IN CUSHING, OKLAHOMA, THE TUESDAY NIGHT MUSIC CLUB
IS AN INFORMAL GATHERING OF ALL AGES AND ABILITIES.
I WAS ABLE TO CATCH UP WITH THE GROUP TO JOIN THEM FOR THEIR WEEKLY JAM.
[MUSIC].
IT'S THE SOUND OF OKLAHOMA, PICKING ITS WAY AROUND THE ROOM.
RICK REILEY: WE DECIDED THAT WE'D JUST PICK ONE NIGHT A WEEK AND GET
TOGETHER AND PLAY, AND WE INVITED ANYONE THAT WANTED TO COME.
KELA: AND FROM THAT BEGAN THE TUESDAY NIGHT MUSIC CLUB, ALLOWING RICK REILEY
AND JUST ABOUT ANYONE TO JOIN IN IN SHARING A LANGUAGE THAT THEY ALL
KNOW AND LOVE, MUSIC.
[MUSIC].
RICK: WE DO IT TO ENCOURAGE EACH OTHER BASICALLY; WE TRY TO GIVE
PEOPLE A PLACE TO COME AND HONE THEIR SKILLS.
IT'S NOT WHETHER THEY'RE A MUSICIAN OR A SONGWRITER, AND WE JUST START AT ONE
CORNER OF THE ROOM AND GO AROUND AND AROUND THE CIRCLE ALL NIGHT LONG
UNTIL WE'RE DONE.
[MUSIC].
KELA: JOE BAXTER IS A MUSICIAN AND SONGWRITER WHO DRIVES FROM MIDWEST
CITY TO JOIN THE GROUP AS OFTEN AS HIS SCHEDULE WILL ALLOW.
JOE BAXTER: IT'S GROWN TO BE A REALLY, REALLY GREAT TRADITION, A REALLY FINE
TRADITION, AND I'M VERY, VERY PROUD OF THESE PEOPLE; THEY'RE JUST THE
SWEETEST PEOPLE IN THE WORLD.
I COME AND I SIT DOWN WITH FOLKS UP HERE AND I'VE NEVER MET ANYBODY UP HERE
THAT I DIDN'T LIKE.
[MUSIC].
KELA: INITIALLY THE NIGHT STARTED TO SIMPLY ALLOW PEOPLE A CHANCE TO ENJOY
THE MUSIC THAT THEY GREW UP WITH.
BUT THE NIGHT HAS GROWN TO BECOME SOMETHING MORE SPECIAL, A GATHERING THAT
NOW ATTRACTS A YOUNGER CROWD.
JOE: THEY ENCOURAGE THE YOUNGER MUSICIANS AND THEY HELP 'EM ALONG, GIVE 'EM A
PLACE TO GO PLAY.
[MUSIC].
THERE ARE A LOT OF THE KIDS GETTING INTO THE MUSIC THESE DAYS, BUY INTO
THIS LIFESTYLE WHERE, YOU KNOW, A LOT OF THE THINGS THAT ARE INVOLVED WITH
PLAYING MUSIC ARN'T NECESSARILY THE TYPE OF THINGS THAT YOU WANT
YOUNGSTERS DOING.
GOD KNOWS I WAS LIKE THAT.
IT GIVES 'EM A PLACE TO GO, IT GIVES 'EM A BACKGROUND, IT GIVES 'EM
UH, IT GIVES 'EM A REAL GOOD SENSE OF WHAT OTHER PEOPLE ARE DOING AND HOW
OLDER MUSICIANS, YOU KNOW, APPROACH THE CRAFT AND THAT'S REAL IMPORTANT.
YOU GET INTO GROUPS OF PEOPLE, LIKE SUCH AS YOU HAVE HERE, AND THERE'S NO
TELLING, YOU MIGHT HAVE ANY TYPE OF GENRE, ANY TYPE OF STYLE, ALL
DIFFERENT LEVELS OF COMPETENCY AND TALENT AND SKILL.
[MUSIC].
KELA: GENE COLLIER HELPED TO ORGANIZE THE MUSIC CLUB THAT FOUND A HOME IN D J
DUNCAN'S LIVING ROOM.
GENE COLLIER: ONE NIGHT THE YOUNGEST PERSON PLAYING WAS 8, ON A
MANDOLIN, AND THE OLDEST PERSON WAS 78 AND I'VE ALWAYS LOVED THAT WE HAVE
SUCH A BIG RANGE AND HOPEFULLY SOME OF THOSE YOUNG PEOPLE IN THERE
DON'T THINK WE'RE ALL THAT OLD; US OLD PEOPLE ARE OKAY, YOU KNOW.
[MUSIC].
KELA: A LOVE OF MUSIC THAT TRANSCENDS AGE AND KEEPS ATTRACTING NEW
PARTICIPANTS EVERY TUESDAY NIGHT.
GENE: WE'VE HAD 10 TO, GOSH 70 OR 80, WHERE YOU COULDN'T EVEN FIND A PLACE
TO STAND UPSTAIRS OR DOWNSTAIRS AND MUSIC OUT IN THE BACK AND THE FRONT
AND HERE AND THERE AND EVERYWHERE.
ITS CUSHING'S BEST KEPT SECRET.
[MUSIC].
KELA: NOW IF YOU'RE INTERESTED IN CATCHING UP WITH THESE MUSICIANS AND
MAYBE JOINING IN FOR A JAM SESSION, WE DO HAVE THEIR CONTACT INFORMATION ON OUR
WEBSITE AT OK HORIZON DOT COM.