Zion Lutheran Church to offer free after-school music program for K-5 students

Zion Lutheran Church in Wooster will offer a free opportunity for local children to learn more about music.

The church, located at 301 N. Market St., invites children in kindergarten through fifth grade to join in an after-school music program, which will start Jan. 7 on Wednesdays from 4-4:50 p.m.

Zion Lutheran Music Director Peter Woodruff will lead the free program. Parents can sign their children up by calling the church at 330-262-5606 or visiting www.zionlutheran-wooster.org/music.

“The children’s music program was an idea that had been formulated before I started working here,” said Woodruff, who was hired as the director of music ministry at Zion Lutheran in June 2024. “The music committee got together and looked for ways that we could do more outreach into our community and just be more present for the folks who live near the church.”

Woodruff, a Columbus native, has been a musician all his life and a church musician for the past 10 years. He has been a pianist, singer, tuba player, band director, choral director and most recently an organist.

After getting to know Zion’s music committee and hearing their wish to get more involved with community outreach, Woodruff came up with the idea for the after-school music program. Free snacks also will be offered.

“A program like this doesn't really exist in a lot of churches,” Woodruff said. “It's relatively unique. I wanted to take the idea that they had given me and kind of flesh it out and figure out what exactly would be the best thing for our community.”

Woodruff, a music teacher in some previous jobs, wants to give kids an opportunity to supplement the music education they get in school, build on some of those skills and learn new ones.

 “I've seen the difference between when I was growing up and learning music in schools versus what resources are available to music educators now,” Woodruff said. “As time goes on, there's less and less time and money allocated to arts education in the schools. We want to boost that and offer another way for students in the area to be involved in music.”

Zion churchgoer Doris Tannhof, a fourth-grader at Parkview Elementary School, is one of about a dozen children who have already signed up for the program.

“I signed up because I have always loved music and I love singing,” Tannhof said. “It will give me an opportunity to do what I like. It’s also an opportunity to make new friends.”

Woodruff isn’t sure how many members the group will wind up having, but he hopes to grow the program as the word continues to get out. Families don't have to attend Zion Lutheran to enroll their kids in the program.

The grade-schoolers will learn how to read music, rhythm and counting skills, instrument playing basics, and singing techniques.

Hand percussion instruments, pitched hand chimes and Orff Xylophones will be used.

“We have a good crop of kids, certainly more than enough to start the program off,” Woodruff said. “We would love to see more. I’m really looking forward to working with the students.”