Jan Lässker isn’t interested in conducting a traditional choir.
Every time the Fort Worth music teacher guides a performance, he’s focused on creating a whimsical environment. That means having students break dance, jump or play instruments while they sing.
The goal, he said, is to create a safe space so students can find their voices at the Fort Worth After School Music Academy.
“I make them very independent,” Lässker said. “Sometimes during concerts, I get them to loop lyrics because the audience is happy with it. I learned that whatever energy I have, that’s the same the kids are gonna have.”
Lässker served as the academy’s artistic director since the organization’s launch in late 2023. He also works as a choir music teacher at Mary Louise Phillips Elementary School in Ridglea North.
His dedication to uplifting children through music earned him recognition in 52 Faces of Community, the Fort Worth Report’s weekly series spotlighting unsung heroes in Tarrant County.
The academy is a nonprofit that provides free and low-cost music instruction and performance opportunities to children ages 8 to 18. Programs include vocal training and guitar, strings and piano lessons.
The organization serves as a revival of the Dorothy Shaw Bell Choir, which was founded in 1964 before its closure during the pandemic. The music group relaunched under a new name, but the historic bell choir still exists as a program, executive director Nate Krieger explained.
As part of the revival, Krieger wanted to expand musical instruction, so he recruited Lässker to lead the choirs.
Lässker was initially hesitant but saw the opportunity to introduce music to more children beyond his school.
The children and bell choirs’ first major performance was a holiday show at Sundance Square in December. The show featured students dancing and performing cartwheels during songs like “This Little Light of Mine” and “Hip Hop Reindeer.”
“There was a whole lot more energy than you would expect from a typical Christmas program,” Lässker said. “It was really quite crazy.”
Lässker’s children’s choir has roughly 35 students enrolled as of May, he said. When planning repertoire, the instructor selects music with positive and loving messages. He also prefers to play the piano as the children sing rather than simply stand and guide them as a conductor.
Krieger said he’s drawn to Lässker’s method of encouraging students to have fun even during difficult music lessons.
“He’s transforming lives through music, but also teaches the discipline that comes with it,” Krieger said. “These kids are so locked in with all of these distractions going on all over the world. It’s just so fun to watch him make difficult things fun.”
Jan Lässker, right, and Michael Mangrum play instruments together outside of Race Street Coffee in November. (Courtesy | Fort Worth After School Music Academy)
Michael Mangrum, the academy’s education director, said he’s inspired by the way Lässker mentors students and commits to providing a unique music experience.
As the school year comes to an end, academy leadership are preparing to open the doors of Broadway Baptist Church — their new permanent home — for new talented students during their first summer camp in late June.
“He’s transforming lives through music, but also teaches the discipline that comes with it. These kids are so locked in with all of these distractions going on all over the world. It’s just so fun to watch him make difficult things fun.”
Nate Krieger, executive director of Fort Worth After School Music Academy
Lässker said he’ll play his piano, jump with joy and build the next generation of confident humans.
David Moreno is the arts and culture reporter for the Fort Worth Report. Contact him at david.moreno@fortworthreport.org or @davidmreports.
The Fort Worth Report’s arts and culture coverage is supported in part by the Meta Alice Keith Bratten Foundation and the Virginia Hobbs Charitable Trust. At the Report, news decisions are made independently of our board members and financial supporters. Read more about our editorial independence policy here.
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