Ragtime, Tin Pan Alley, Jazz & the Blues: A Millionaire’s Retreat on Jekyll

Gary and I were absolutely swept away with the talent of Anne/Jeff Barnhart, leaders of our music program. We would recommend anyone who enjoys learning about Ragtime, Blues and Jazz enroll in ANY program where this duo will lead the program. They are THAT good. And, yes, Jekyll Island is truly beautiful.

As a longtime Jazz fan, who has enjoyed a number of Ivory & Gold performances at Jazz Festivals, I was thrilled to have Jeff & Anne giving us four fantastic mornings of history and performing Ragtime, Jazz, and Blues music. This was the second time for this program and Jeff and Anne gave a fresh presentation of the music I love. The old Jekyll Island Club Hotel Ballroom was still a perfect place for performances and buffet meals.

This was a great, fun and interesting program presented in a fun, interesting way by truly professional, caring individuals who were well equipped and up to the task.

Jeff and Anne make a fantastic pair of talented musicians who enjoy their music, history, and presentations to us in three-hour sessions with breaks every morning in the ballroom. At 12:00 the kitchen staff had set up a buffet of delightful food right in the Ballroom. The Jekyll Island Club Resort provides a delightful, historic hotel accommodation.

Everything about this program was outstanding from the beautiful resort to the excellent food, the attentiveness of JoAnn, our tour guide, and most of all, Jeff and Anne, the entertainers/educators.

My smile lasted from start to finish during this rollicking program of well-loved music. Anne & Jeff are masterful musicians.

It was a fantastic course on music and music history from the 1800s up to the 1930s 40s. Jeff and Ann made the course so easy to follow an interesting I am reading and learning more and more about that era of music. I highly recommend this to anyone that has any music interest

I showed up at this program not sure if I could sit through so much "instruction", but then I got musically transported to another place and time. Jeff Barnhart is an exceptional piano player and a storehouse of backstories, sideways stories, a true entertainer!

If you are interested in any type of music program and you see that Jeff and Ann Barnhart are running the that program I would definitely check it out. They do a wonderful job. Linda Spadavecchia

Your spirits will be uplifted and your heart will be filled with toe tapping happiness.

Excellent, informative, FUN program. Every day was a pleasure.

Great program and outstanding venue

What a joy to hear such superb scholarship, to listen to such musical genius, and to enjoy such a lovely resort! I am so grateful to Jeff and Ann Barnhardt for introducing me to my first Road Scholar program at Jekyll Island, Georgia. And I look forward to returning to their next seminar on American music of the mid twentieth century. Thank-you, Road Scholar!

As a longtime Jazz fan, who has enjoyed a number of Ivory & Gold performances at Jazz Festivals, I was thrilled to have Jeff & Anne giving us four fantastic mornings of history and performing Ragtime, Jazz, and Blues music. The old Jekyll Island Club Hotel Ballroom was a perfect place for performances and buffet meals.

Great program. Highly recommend it for any music lover, not just jazz, blues, or ragtime music lovers. Would like to see them do a follow-on program of how this led to early rock and roll.

There are not many educational classes that you leave each day with a smile and tapping your feet. Jeff and Anne made this a jazzy week.

Fantastic program. The Barnharts are wonderful musicians and entertaining presenters. Jekyll Island is gorgeous and the perfect setting for the music. Highly reccommend.

please send me the program booklet for this program, I've lost the original copy. Thank you.

Outstanding program; leader expertise and charm plus the location is fantastic.

Excellent! You will be inspired to learn more about Jazz. So much material you will feel a bit overwhelmed. Fabulous instructors/performances. Please bring back the spiral bound program material.

This is a wonderful program and one that I would like to do again but I also encourage Road Scholar to schedule other programs with Jeff and Anne. The music in itself is great but it is their information on the history of ragtime, blues, and jazz that make it special. Their back and forth conversations also really add to the enjoyment. I knew I would enjoy this program but I had no idea how much I would enjoy it.

Fantastic program. I'd love to attend again.

The Road Scholar Program on Jazz, Tin Pan Alley, Blues, at Jekyll Island was absolutely marvelous and so informative. It brought back memories of the past in my musical life. I enjoyed it thoroughly and wished it could have continued on longer. Thank you to the wonderful leadership!!

Delightful week on a beautiful Georgia island experiencing the American songbook from the 1890s to 1940s.

Excellent program. I would highly recommend it whether you are new to jazz and ragtime like me, or are very familiar with the subject. The course actually improved how I listen to all types of music. If you are flying in, I would recommend not getting a rental car. The island taxi is cheaper and there is so much to do in walking distance. My rental stayed parked the whole week.

If you are at all interested in the Ragtime, Tin Pan Alley, Dixieland Jazz, and Blues of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, this is the program for you. Jeff and Anne Barnhart and terrific musicians, and excellent at putting the music into context. They also gave us great information about the musical "stars" of that era and kind of music.

very interesting program in a beautiful location.

Beware of the "no see um" bugs on the beach.

Program was excellent, as were instructors and Director of Program. Think alternate locations should be considered in different parts of the country for future programs.

The program is very entertaining and informative. The resort is a great venue for the program.

Great program if you have any interest in American Music. Very thorough and informative as well as fun.

What a great week!!! I have attended several Ragtime Festivals so knew about some Ragtime music history but the presentation by Jeff and Ann Barnhardt really opened my eyes. A well organized program with the right amount of lecture and music to inform and entertain. This program should be offered in more locations around the U.S. (Dave Almquist, Ohio)

Once again, Road’s Scholar has outdone itself! A beautiful location with educators as knowledgeable as any I’ve had anywhere and a tour organizer who enhanced our stay immensely!

What a delightful experience. I learned, was entertained, shared, thought, pushed and prompted. The additional side treats, learning about marsh lands, shells, turtles was especially enjoyable.

This program is a terrific overview of uniquely American music. The presenters are phenomenal and did an exceptional job. My husband and I learned a lot and will actually be venturing out to learn more about jazz music at festivals and venues. The Jekyll Island Club was the perfect location for the session. Take this program; you will love it.

This was one of the best programs! The music component with Tex Wyndham was superb. He was very knowledgeable and shared the music expertly with keyboard. It was a true joy to listen, tap a foot or hum along! The Jekyll Island Millionaires Club was a wonderful experience. To stay in the wonderfully restored lodge and sleep in the rooms possibly shared by the rich and famous of bygone years was neat. Meals could not have been better. The breakfast buffet was wonderful. I also enjoyed the island history tour, the visit to the sea turtle center and the people in the small group of 24 - a good number for the content of the program. Road Scholar - keep this program! It was a delight!

It would have been more interesting if there were musical clips of the bands or musicians shown on film rather than just the presenter's demonstrating on a keyboard, although he was very proficient.

I enjoyed this week with three other people, and we had a great time. The combination of the location, the course content, the instructors' expertise, and the luck of good weather made it a great week.

This program couldn't have been better! Tex Wyndham is a professional performer and that came through when he played the musical examples of his presentation (on the keyboard) --and he played a lot of wonderful music. He was very knowledgeable and was always open to questions. I also enjoyed the ecological portion of our stay. Georgia, the naturalist, identified our finds on the beach, from egg pods to worm tubes, and in the classroom we even got into the sex lives of mollusks. She made the learning fun!

Tex Wyndham was an outstanding presenter, the best instructor of any Road Scholar program that I have attended and I have attended 25! His oral presentation and his accompanying keyboard demonstrations of the points that he wanted to make were remarkable. The program was very informative, enlightening and great fun. I didn't want his program to end.

The RoadScholar program "Ragtime, Early Tin Pan Alley and Dixeland Jazz" was vibrant and vital because the principal instructor, Tex Wyndham. He is extremely knowledgeable, but this is not the key to his teaching effectiveness. The key is his love of the material and his musicianship. This "old" music comes across as vital and vibrant as when it was new, some more than a century ago. Anyone from a novice to a performer will gain understanding and and an appreciation of this art form: American Popular Music, as presented by someone who spent his life performing it and entertaining thousands. After spending a week with Tex, I am sorry to see this music pass into oblivion for all but those few who have learned by experience or by instruction to love it. I am most appreciative that I, a Classic Music Performer, have had the opportunity to learn about it from Tex. Richard Sohn (sohnrs@gmail.com) Horn Section, Florissant Valley Symphony Orchestra (www.fovalleyso.org)

"Tex" brings history to life. He has played with many of the pioneers of the era and shares those experiences through storytelling, keyboard and song. He educated us on music theory at a level that even non-musicians could understand. The dining and lodging on Jekyll Island were excellent. Living in the cottages of the millionaires of the same period of the music that we were studying added to this unique program.

This was a wonderful program. The musical instruction was excellent, cultural activities interesting and the facility was great. With a great leader like JoAnne the program just couldn’t have been any better!

Wonderful week of learning in a beautiful setting. The instructor, Tex Wyndham, is a veritable walking encyclopedia of information regarding the golden age of ragtime, Tin Pan Alley and Dixieland. He never used notes in lectures or music when playing; he held in memory what seemed like hundreds of names of composers, as well as their life stories and lyrics to their songs. He punctuated his lectures with his expert and fun playing and singing of music under discussion. We also enjoyed learning about the ecology of Jekyll Island with the very knowledgeable Georgia Graves. I highly recommend this program to anyone with an interest in the early days of jazz in America.

I give this program the highest recommendation. A perfect balance between the music, which was so much fun, and the science and local history, which was engaging as well.

I sometimes feel that Road Scholar spends way too much on printing and mailing. I won't donate to any 501 (c) (3) that spend so much on fancy printing, binding, postage and ink. We are all trying to save our trees, and be better caretakers of our world. Too much !!

If you are interested in this period of music history, and want to know more and enjoy attending informal concerts by consummate artists-- "come on and hear" -- you won't be disappointed. And if you happen to bring your instrument or can sing, you can even join in. Great fun and fascinating.

This was an excellent program. Tex Wyndham was a delight. He clearly described each genre of music, their characteristics and played tunes to illustrate the points under discussion. He discussed the music, the composers, the musicians, the publishers, the society of the time and showed examples of the sheet music. My knowledge of the this music was enhanced - and in a most enjoyable way. It was clear that the attendees truly enjoyed it all. The ecological portion of the program was also enlightening. We walked on the beach and the naturalist discussed what we found - egg sacks, sea shells, horseshoe crabs, etc. In the conference room, she discussed the ecology of Jekyll Island and in another session we examined sea shells and discussed their characteristics. We also visited the turtle rescue site. We had guided tours around the Jekyll Island Club by trolley and on foot and learned the history of the resort. There was time to check out the shops on the resort and an afternoon to explore the island on our own. I highly recommend this program.

I enjoyed my first Road Scholar trip with JAZZ & Jekyll island. Jeff & Anne are knowledgeable, talented, along with being experienced musicians & educators. Thanks you both for enriching my knowledge!!!

This trip exceeded my expectations. The music program was fabulous because Ann and Jeff Barnhart are amazing professional musicians with the ability to share their passion and love of music. What a wonderful joyous experience of learning and listening. Jekyll Island is a beautiful place to enjoy and its loaded with history which adds to its charm. The food was abundant and delicious. The perfect get away for a vacation.

This was one of the most wonderful five days we've experienced: in a lovely environment, with delightful entertainment while learning about Ragtime, Dixieland and early Jazz from two talented and charming instructors. Having beach walks and local environmental guides and learning about the Jekyll Island history and terrain were an added bonus. HIGHLY RECOMMEND!!!

I learned the differences between ragtime and jazz music from the late 1890's- 1930's from a very knowledgeable instructor. The location for this program was excellent and all events are well planned and interesting.

It was a great experience, I learned from a pro.Tex had a great deal of knowledge that he shared with the attendees..I surely came away with a positive amount of Jazz, Tin Pan Alley and Dixie Land music..His piano playing gave us an insight to see differences with the chords of each of them..I learned about composers, singers and those who produced the records.. It took me back to an era of song for me..Humming or singing those songs that I grew up with... Thoroughly enjoyed this program..

If you are interested in the History of Popular Music of the late 19th and early 20th century this program is for you! The demonstrations were fantastic.

"One of the best ever" are my wife's and my comments on Tex Wyndham's presentation and we've done over 40 Road Scholar programs. The first time We've seen a presenter receive a standing ovation at Tex's final session.

This was one of the best trips we have taken. Ted Wyndham's unbelievable talent and knowledge of Jazz is unsurpassed! The accomodations and meals were also fantastic.

Tex is a great entertainer and instructor. He teaches to all levels of knowledge. His obvious love of the subject only adds to the very enjoyable program. The Jekyll Island Club facilities were unsurpassed. What a great program for anyone that enjoys early jazz.

I know of no one more knowledgeable or articulate than Tex Wyndham about Dixieland, ragtime and early American popular music, and strongly recommend this course to anyone even remotely interested in these subjects.