ADULT ENRICHMENT

Music Instruction

Taiko Drumming

Taiko, the art of Japanese Drumming, is now available to you! If you have ever wondered what it is like to play the big drums, now is your chance to find out! This is a physical activity that requires being able to stand for an hour and flex and stretch.

No experience needed for the beginning class and drums are provided. Students will use River Ridge High School’s practice drums and play on the rawhide drums during the final class.

Yes, You Can Play The Ukulele: Part 1

The popularity of the ukulele continues to grow and it's become one of the most desirable and accessible instruments to learn. Why not give this easy-to-learn, smile-inducing instrument a try in this funfilled group class that will have you strumming chords and playing songs in a few weeks. No pre-requisite, but you will need to bring your soprano, concert, or tenor uke along with a pick to each class. No loaner instruments are available.

Ukulele Sing Along Campfire Songs

If you love singing timeless songs with friends and family under the stars and love the sound of a uke, then this class is for you. You'll learn the uke chords and the strums to a number of well-known campfire favorites, plus a couple of pop songs, too. Pre-requisite: Bring a soprano, concert, or tenor uke (No baritone ukes, please). Knowledge of at least 6 basic chords and ability to transition between them. You will also need a uke capo for this class (purchased locally or online for about $10). No loaner instruments are available.

Voice-overs: NOW is YOUR Time!

Instructor: John Theine

Dates: Session 1: April 6 - May 4

Session 2: May 11 - June 15

Time: 6 - 7 p.m. (Beginning); or 7 - 8 p.m. (Intermediate)*

Location: River Ridge H.S. Band Room 608, 350 River Ridge Drive SE, Lacey

Ages: 16 and up

Min/Max: 1/5

Fee: $30

*Must have taken Beginning Ta iko previously

Instructor: Jeff Saxon

Dates: Mondays, May 8 - June 12 (no class 5/29, Memorial Day)

Time: 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Location: Olympia Center, 222 Columbia St NW

Min/Max: 1/3

Fee: $119 (includes instructional booklet)

Instructor: Jeff Saxon

Day: Wednesdays, May 10 - June 7

Time: 6:30 - 8 p.m.

Location: Olympia Center, 222 Columbia St NW

Min/Max: 1/3

Fee: $119 (includes instructional booklet)

Date: Wednesday, May 10

Time: 6:30 - 8:30 p.m.

Location: Old Town Center

Min/Max: 5/12

In what could be the most enlightening 2 hours you’ve ever spent, this class will show you how you can actually begin using your speaking voice for commercials, films, videos, and more. Most people go about it the wrong way. In this introductory class, you will learn about a unique, outside the box way to break into this creative, fulfilling, and potentially lucrative industry. Voice-overs can be managed on your own terms, on your own turf, in your own time, and with minimal overhead! Whether you choose to pursue voice-overs part-time or full-time, this could be the game-changer you’ve been looking for.

Fee: $49

(360) 754-4160 • www.ci.tumwater.wa.us/parks

At Home in the PNW

Without a doubt, the Pacific Northwest is an exceptional place to call home. Its beauty is unmatched, from the grand mountains to the lifegiving estuaries of Puget Sound. This unique and magnificent environment has spurred a regional passion for environmental care and sustainability. This same, sometimes soggy climate also drives people out of the rain and cold and into coffee shops where they can get warm with a cup of coffee. This love for coffee has positioned the PNW as a leader in innovative coffee craft and brewing practices. Washingtonian's passion for our natural world has also fostered a resurgence of hobbies such as foraging, beekeeping, and permaculture practices which we see expanding on a national, if not global, scale.

At Home in the PNW brings together regional experts, entrepreneurs, and practitioners for a panel discussion on regional topics of interest to those who call the Great Pacific Northwest home.

Instructor: Various Panelists (See descriptions)

Day: Thursdays

Dates: Part 2: The Evolution of Coffee Culture in the PNW – March 9

Part 3: Sustainability and the Inner Self –March 23

Time: 6 - 7:30 p.m.

Age: 16 and up

Location: Tumwater Timberland Library

7023 New Market St SW

Min/Max: 10/42 per session

Fee: FREE

Part 2: The Evolution of Coffee Culture in the Pacific Northwest - Thursday, March 9

One can only think of the Pacific Northwest by simultaneously thinking of coffee. Coffee culture is synonymous with the PNW, and one almost smells the aroma of a cup of Joe at the mere sight of an evergreen tree. How did coffee become ubiquitous in Pacific Northwest culture? How did local entrepreneurs get their start, and how have they used coffee to support their families and community and increase a sense of well-being?

Join panelists Michael Cade, Executive Director, Thurston County Economic Development Council; Patricia Holm, Founder of Null Set Coffee; Oliver Stormshak, Co-owner of Olympia Coffee Roasters; and Logan Smith, Co-owner Ember Goods, as they discuss the history of coffee in the Thurston County Region as well as its future!

Part 3: Sustainability and the Inner Self - Thursday, March 23

This panel will focus on humanity's deep connection to the natural environment and discuss sustainability from the inside outward. It will explore sustainability as a mental and physical experience that looks to nature as a guide teaching us to pay attention and listen. It will examine the emotional connection between our inner self and the places we call home.

Join our panel of experts, Climate Therapist Leslie Davenport, MS, LMFT; Well-being Specialist Jason Taellious and Tessa Bradley, Passive House Expert, both from Tumwater's Artisan Group; and Brenda Butterfield, Ed.D., MSW, LMHC founder of The One Center. This discussion is sure to be enlightening!

(360) 754-4160 • www.ci.tumwater.wa.us/parks

History Programs

History Pubs at Heritage (for ages 21 and over)

The Olympia Tumwater Foundation is excited to announce a new format for its popular history talks: History Pubs at Heritage. This new series of in-person history talks will be an hour long on a topic relevant to Tumwater or the surrounding area, and will combine history with science, sports, art, and many other subjects. Hosted inside the cask library of the new Heritage Distilling Co., near the Olympia Brewery. Guests are encouraged to sit back and relax, with a cocktail if they wish, and enjoy learning about our area’s history from captivating speakers. Registrants will receive tokens for discounts on Heritage drinks and merchandise.

Location: Heritage Distilling Cask Room & Library / 4200 Capitol Blvd SE Suite 104, Tumwater

Ages: 21+

Min/Max: 5/75

Fee: Free

Coast Salish Herbal Medicine

Local Highway History

Transportation infrastructure is a crucial part of daily life for many of us, but how has the State Highway System shaped and been shaped by the Olympia-Tumwater area’s unique history and geography? This talk will explore the two cities’ engineering history and heritage through the some of the area’s notable historic bridges and highways. It will also discuss the historic and contemporary connections between transportation, historic preservation, and environmental and social justice.

It's the Water and a Lot More: Tumwater Fire Department

Tumwater Fire Department’s tagline is more than just a clever use of the old brewery’s slogan – the department started with volunteers from the brewery. Learn more about the history of the Tumwater Fire Department from retired firefighter Mike Pavlich.

Riverwalk Guided History Tours

Riverwalk tours are back! Learn the history of Euro-American settlement along the Deschutes River – now the location of Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls – and the relationship between people and the river over the last two centuries, from trusted local guides. Participants will meet the tour guide outside of the OlympiaTumwater Foundation office at Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls. Pre-registration is required.

Questions regarding location or logistics? Call (360) 786-8117 or email history@olytumfoundation.org. Help with registration? Email tumwaterparks@ci.tumwater.wa.us.

Speaker: Rhonda Grantham

Date: Thursday, March 16

Time: 6 - 7 p.m.

Rhonda Grantham, an Indigenous herbalist, midwife, and member of the Cowlitz Indian Tribe, is the founder of Canoe Journey Herbalists. She believes that access to traditional medicine, ancestral connection, and health sovereignty are integral to healing personal and collective wounds of trauma and colonization. Her organization enacts these beliefs by providing opportunities to connect with plant healing, supporting Indigenous communities, and fostering pathways for learning about plant medicine. Rhonda will take attendees through stories and treasures of plants native to the Pacific Northwest through her experience as a member of a local tribe.

Speaker: Kelsey Matson

Date: Thursday, April 13

Time: 6 - 7 p.m.

Speaker: Mike Pavlich

Date: Thursday, May 18

Time: 6 - 7 p.m.

Day: Tuesday

Date: April 11, April 25, May 9, May 23, June 6, or June 20

Time: 6 - 7 p.m.

Location: Brewery Park at Tumwater Falls, 110 Deschutes Way SW, Tumwater Corner of C St. & Deschutes Pkwy Min/Max: 5/15

Fee: FREE; pre-registration required