We received the following press release from the Franciscan Life Process Center.
Lowell, Michigan, March 19, 2025 – The Franciscan Life Process Center has expanded its music offerings with the return of lessons in piano, guitar, drums, brass instruments and beginning voice, in addition to its longstanding music therapy program.
Enrollment is now open for weekly half-hour lessons, which are offered one-on-one over a 15- to 20-week semester, at both its Lowell and Grand Rapids campuses. There are immediate openings for children 8 years old through high school and adults of all skill levels with flexible lesson times Monday through Friday.
“At the Franciscan Life Process Center, we’re dedicated to helping individuals unlock their fullest potential as they journey through the process of life,” Center Director Sandy Koteskey said. “During lessons, our goal is to provide an enjoyable educational experience that supports the development of the whole person. Beyond specific musical skills, we can work on building confidence, enhancing creativity and promoting healthy self-expression.”
Lessons are taught by a team of credentialed music professionals with up to two decades of teaching experience. Adaptive music lessons, which modify formal instruction for students’ physical, cognitive, social and/or emotional needs, are also available at no additional cost.
“Because of our team’s background in music therapy, we are able to adjust lessons for individuals who may have struggled with traditional instruction in the past,” Koteskey said. “Our services are tailored to each individual student, even taking into consideration their music preferences, to help them learn musical concepts in a supportive setting.”
The cost ranges from $375-$500 per semester. The summer semester will begin June 9, although students may join at any time and have registration prorated. The Center can provide lesson material, such as sheet music, as needed for a direct purchase price, but students must bring their own instruments.
With humble beginnings in a simple home located in Ada, the Franciscan Life Process Center Music Department has steadily grown and evolved with changing community needs over the years.
Both the music education and music therapy programs date back to the 1980s. In 1979, then Music Director Sister Mary Margaret Delaski and a small staff began teaching students with the belief that “musical rhythms express patterns deep within our nature and within the earth itself.” They named the studio Franciscan Rhythms. Around the same time, the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist pioneered music therapy in West Michigan, long before it was a widely recognized therapy method.
In 2003, both the needs of the instructors and students had outgrown the small space. The Franciscan Rhythms Studio moved to the Franciscan Life Process Center’s main campus in Lowell at 11650 Downes St. NE. Then in 2011, services were expanded to downtown Grand Rapids with the opening of its second campus in the Basilica Center at 654 Davis St. NW. In recent years, the Center focused solely on music therapy to accommodate growing community need.
“Now we have the space and capacity to get back into teaching,” Koteskey said. “We are grateful to be able to offer lessons again to those in the community who may not need therapy but want to stay connected musically.”
Individuals interested in lessons and/or music therapy may contact Sandy Koteskey at [email protected] or 616.897.7842 ext. 315 to learn more and register. More information is also available at LifeProcessCenter.org.
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