Education & Classes in Westfield

The encouraging, informative team at Meridian Music, an instrument retailer and music-education center, beckons visitors to tickle ivory keys with a stock of tuneful pianos and organs, as well as private and group lessons. In addition to piano and organ instruction, the skilled maestros teach students how to wring applause out of audiences using their voices or stringed, brass, and woodwind instruments. Meridian Music's private performance hall, Munger Hall, seats up to 120 people, or one lengthy conga line, during solo and group student recitals.

Helmed by a team of local artists, Your Artistic Spirits holds informal visual-arts consortia in local venues such as Bier Brewery, Black Swan Brewpub, and Bodega. At each location, they welcome participants of all skill levels and disciplines to sip wine, beer, or spirits as they make art focused in a range of artistic styles, from neoclassical busts to avant-garde booms. Instructors guide attendees through step-by-step instruction to create original works in one chosen medium, such as acrylics, watercolors, sculpting clay, or papier-mâché. When not conducting public classes and private parties, artistic staffers lead team-building workshops and art-therapy programs for children and adults.

Jon E. Gee knows a lot of famous musicians. In fact, he's one of them. The accomplished bass player, dubbed a "consummate professional" by his John Mellencamp Band colleague Mike Wanchic and praised for being "always positive" by lead guitarist Andy York, has toured the world, laying down reverberating bass lines for artists such as Billy Joel, Mick Jagger, and Melissa Etheridge.

Back home in Indiana, Gee leads students toward their personal and professional musical goals at his unassuming studio. Sharing his hard-earned performance techniques, such as how to use small magnets to connect with an audience, Gee instills charisma and confidence in his students, prompting Wanchic to proclaim, "I don't think you could find a better person to be mentored through than Jon."

A young boy, hands in his pockets, gazes longingly at the moon as it dips behind a horizon of cloudy skies and trees. A woman bundled in a warm jacket lovingly feeds two does peeking out of a red barnyard door. In many of her paintings, artist Elizabeth Kenney creates a vivid, thought-provoking scene that evokes a wide array of feelings. During her private and group art lessons, she teaches her students to elicit similar emotional responses through their own artwork, whether it reminds viewers of the blissfulness of a warm summer day or the urgency of getting your head stuck between two railings. In addition to teaching painting techniques in various mediums, Kenney also shows her work at local and national galleries and has earned recognition as a 2008 Honorary Mention in the Faces of Woman 18th Annual Juried Exhibition.

Joe Newkirk can still recall the look on the 9-year-old's face when she gazed out of the helicopter window. The girl, who suffered from vision problems, won an essay contest themed "Live Life in HD." Among the contest's donated prizes—which included a zamboni ride—Newkirk contributed a helicopter experience. As he saw the girl transfixed by the view at 1,000 feet, he recognized how her experienced mirrored his first time in the air. "The feeling you get, it's a feeling of freedom." Hence the name, Freedom Helicopters.

Originally a design engineer for a helicopter manufacturer, Newkirk found himself less interested in engineering parts and more fascinated by how the machines could lift straight off the ground without a runway start or being kicked by a Rockette. After obtaining his Federal Aviation Administration license, he recognized the scarcity of experienced pilots due to the military's increasing retention of helicopter operators. Today, Newkirk and his team of fellow FAA licensed pilots work to remedy the shortage and help people cross an experience of their bucket lists by turning over the controls of Robinson and Bell helicopters capable of sustaining speeds of 130 miles per hour. Backed by training from Newkirk's team, Freedom Helicopters' alumni have gone from zero hours of experience to leading helicopter tours through the Grand Canyon and saving lives as medical evacuation specialists.

“I don’t want you to just follow the recipe because it’s there,” Katherine Haidar says in an interview on Fox 59. “I want you to add your taste to it.”

Katherine, the owner of Cooking Greek, draws on a passion for the traditional recipes she learned from her Greek-born parents. She began cooking at age 8 and lets that experience shine through while leading hands-on classes. In the bustling kitchen, pupils gather to learn how to craft flaming cheese, moussaka, loukoumades, or greek wedding cookies and discover techniques such as the trick-counterclockwise stir. Katherine also incorporates vegan, vegetarian, and gluten-free classes into the monthly schedule.

Katherine also brings that same dedication to authentic Mediterranean tastes to her adjoining eatery, where diners welcome plates filled with bites of roasted lamb, garlic, and eggplant. Build-your-own gyros let guests pack pitas with their choice of traditional meat, chicken, veggies, or falafel before adorning them with toppings ranging from feta to tzatziki. Many entrees are gluten-free; chefs infuse their signature lemon chicken with a blend of citrus and greek spices, and stuff dolmades with a wheat-free combination of rice, beef, and vegetables before tucking them into the oven. They also plot sweet finales with desserts including baklava, cannoli, and gluten-free chocolate cake.