Avery Point Residents Enjoy a Variety of Performances and Talks on Campus

Bob Phillipson has played bluegrass music his entire life. So naturally, after settling into his new home at Avery Point, an Erickson Senior Living community in Short Pump, Va., he started a bluegrass jam.

"A jam is when you just get people together who want to play music. You sit around, and each person plays what they want in turn. Everyone else follows, whatever the song may be," says Bob.

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While the jam itself is rather small, the audience isn't. "Everyone who comes enjoys it!" he notes.

This entertaining group is just one of the many ways Avery Point residents enjoy activities like live music and informational talks on campus.

Jamming together

On the first Sunday of every month, Bob and about five other residents gather in the education room in the Wilton Crossing clubhouse for a jam. After setting up chairs in a semicircle, the group starts strumming away on guitars, banjos, and mandolins. Singers also join in.

The musicians play folk songs like "The Times--They Are A-Changin'" and "Good Morning America." They then move onto bluegrass tunes such as "High on a Mountain," "Shady Grove," and "Wabash Cannonball."

Since starting the jam, the audience has grown significantly. Now, the education room is nearly full each month.

"Sometimes people know all the songs, and sometimes they don't. But it doesn't matter," says Bob. "We all have fun doing it!"

Talents & Talks

Residents with skills of a slightly different sort worked together in 2023 to start Talents & Talks. "We were looking for people who had talent and could perform for us here at Avery Point," explains George Evans, the group's first leader. "We were also looking for people who could give talks that would be of interest."

Talents & Talks organized eight events in its inaugural year. In 2024, the group organized 21, and last year, they held 24. The group now continues to plan two events each month.

"Talents & Talks has become so popular that we've expanded from a room for 80 people to the Life Enrichment Center, which seats up to 200," says George. "This has enabled us to not only expand our seating capacity but also get musical groups more appropriate for a larger venue."

"No other groups bring in music like we do!" says group member Betsy Rule.

Since the Life Enrichment Center opened, it has served as a wonderful gathering place for a wide range of community events, including Town Hall meetings, exercise groups, classes, and even religious ceremonies.

Striking a chord

Talents & Talks books musical groups in a variety of genres. In addition to classical, folk, bluegrass, country, opera, and a string quartet, the group has brought in an Indian Raga band, a Klezmer band, a group of singers and bell ringers from a local church, and Sabbatical, a band composed of several professors from the University of Richmond.

"We bring in different kinds of music so people can experience it for the first time. Sometimes, they may know nothing about the music, but once they hear it, they're so glad they came," says Betsy.

Betsy recruited longtime friend Dr. Charles Staples, a renowned concert pianist, to perform several times at the community. He has also accompanied singers who perform at the Life Enrichment Center.

Fellow group member Phyllis Sutherland, retired chair of the voice department at the Peabody Institute at Johns Hopkins University, has brought in many musicians from the Baltimore, Md., area.

"We always make sure that a group member or someone in the community has actually heard the musical acts before we hire them. That way, we know we're getting great ones," says George.

Guest speakers galore

The group's guest speakers have also drawn large crowds. The first speaker in summer 2023 was from the Goochland County Historical Society.

A popular speaker is resident Willis McCauley, who grew up in the Short Pump area and knows it well, both past and present. "He can tell you what was on a corner 60 years ago, where you might see an office building today," says George. "People love it, and Willis is so much fun!"

From the end of 2025 through this year, the group has been booking reenactors for the Virginia American Revolution 250 Commemoration. All characters are associated with the Revolutionary War: George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, Benedict Arnold, and Abigail Adams.

Over the years, other clubs and groups--such as the history club, the dog owners' group, the genealogy club, the men's group, and the women's group--began bringing in guest speakers, offering even more educational opportunities for neighbors.

To learn more about independent senior living at Avery Point, request your free brochure to get the scoop on amenities, floor plans, and much more.

By Michele Wojciechowski