Do the right SPRING- Unleashing the magic of Matilda at our Spring Break Camp

\

Interview: Pamela Martinez, Composer

by Rachel Wilson

On Saturday June 23, the Brooklyn Music School’s Music Theatre Program will present the performance of “To Dream a World”. This unique performance features an original tale of how William Shakespeare imagined the characters for his works. As a boy, his dreams take him to magical worlds where he meets the characters that eventually end up in his plays.

Pamela Martinez is a voice, piano, violin, guitar, and harp instructor at Brooklyn Music School. I spoke with Pamela, who is one of the composers and lyricists for “To Dream a World,” and asked her about her work with the show and why it is unique and worth seeing.

Q: What do you think makes this production unique?

A: I definitely think that having a team of Brooklyn creators and women creators working on original content for children is pretty awesome. I feel like that can only happen in Brooklyn because there are so many creators here. Also, I think having this particular play is unique because it’s a Shakespearean focused play for children. It’s not one of his plays, so it’s not a watered-down version of his art, it’s a new piece that introduces children to the art and work of Shakespeare. Creating Will as a child so children will be interested in it, it’s a fictional biography of Will Shakespeare as a kid, which I can tell the children were connecting to.

Q: What was the inspiration behind the show/music?

A: We begin with a concept worth writing about and teaching about. We thought it was worth teaching about Shakespeare, we thought it was worth writing about the seasons. We usually base it on a myth, a fable, another opera or a character, a fictional or real life character. But we start with a teachable concept or concept we feel is worth teaching about, in this case it was William Shakespeare. In other cases, Greek or Roman mythology, or another composer we can teach about that inspired the work that we can completely recreate music for based on a character or myth.

Q: What is the overall process for putting together a show like this?

A: It’s a lot, a lot of work. Opera is the Italian word for WORK and they’re not kidding. The original intention was to create an original piece of art that was all of us together. I like working on this team, I like building a team that has like a lexicon, a library of experience to draw on. We’re growing together, it’s not 3 months at a time, it’s not a semester at a time, it’s growing over years. I’ve worked at BMS for 8 years and I’ve been writing for this project for two years.

Q: What is it like working with the students?

A: This season I didn’t work with the students directly. I have before. The best I can say is it’s best that the students work up to the task. We have professional, high level expectations. It’s not baby stuff. This is one that is pre-conservatory training, we have pretty high expectations for our performers. Not every student continues their studies but the ones that do, they flower and they blossom and they learn, so it’s the students growing as well as the writing and directing team. I’ve been writing music for like, 20 years, I started when I was a kid. I’ve mostly been seeing myself as a songwriter than a composer. I have a lot of experience recording, and I think this is the next step, taking the children into the studio, and teaching how music is passed along. I think that’s a big part of being a performer, learning how to share your work.

I have another project I work with called Whisper Lodge. It’s immersive theatre, it’s seasonal. We’ve had NY Times reviews, Buzz feed News reviews. A Netflix Documentary for the project comes out in July. That one I direct as well and work with the teens. I think there are very talented young people in Brooklyn. I mean all over, but luckily, they hear about Brooklyn Music School because we are at the heart of Brooklyn and we’ve been around for 100 years. We have a mentoring program for students who are under 18 who want to work for the school. I feel like that program has been centered towards rock students, for some reason. I would love to see more mentors brought in through the musical theater and dance programs. I don’t have a lot of harp students, there’s harp in the play and I‘m the harp instructor. I have two piano students that I’ve converted to harp, but I would love to find more harp students. I teach a lot of things but I would love more harp students!

Q: What do you think makes this show worth seeing?

A: The costumes are phenomenal! It’s worth seeing, it’s a very photographical play. Something unique about the costuming, which was done by Deborah Houston, is she used to run a Shakespeare company, so the costumes come from an authentic company. I would throw out the idea as far as parents who are looking for projects for their children. We’re studying content that is important and essential for a budding artist, studying some sort of literature or art.

May 6: Struttin' with some BBQ

Brooklyn Music School (BMS) presents an afternoon of Burnin’ Jazz and Hot Barbecue, Struttin’ With Some Barbecue, a fundraiser for the BMS Jazz Department, on Sunday, May 6, 2018 at 3pm at the Brooklyn Music School Playhouse, 126 Saint Felix Street, Brooklyn, NY. Tickets are $30 ($75 for family tickets)

Titled after a composition by Louis Armstrong and Lilian Hardin, Struttin’ With Some Barbecue will help support the rapidly blossoming Brooklyn Music School (BMS) Jazz Department.  It’s a chance to enjoy the down-home feel of southern food, swinging music, and jazz community that will make anyone think they’ve been transported straight to New Orleans, all the while helping support Jazz at BMS.

The afternoon will feature performances by all three of the BMS Student Jazz Ensembles, the BMS Jazz Faculty Ensemble, and an appearance by the world-renowned jazz drummer and BMS Artistic Advisory Board Member Dr. Victor Lewis.  Victor’s dynamic drumming style and musical personality have supported influential bandleaders from Dexter Gordon and Woody Shaw to David Sanborn.  He co-leads the groundbreaking band “Horizon” with Bobby Watson and has been on faculty at Rutgers University Mason School of the Arts for over 14 years.

Like those New Orleans “Magnolias in bloom,” the BMS Jazz Department has undergone incredible growth over the last five years. Having added two student Jazz Ensembles and recently completed our fifth annual BMS Middle School Jazz Festival, we are looking forward to our third BMS Summer Jazz Workshop, our third FAB/BMS Fall Jazz Faculty series, and will include a Jazz Intensive as part of this year’s BMS Summer Institute.

Contributions will help the BMS Jazz Department by providing support for our Summer Jazz Workshop, the Middle School Jazz Festival, as well as scholarships for deserving students who would otherwise not be able to participate in our programs.

With influential musicians like Eric Dolphy and Gary Bartz once living down the street the Brooklyn Music School has long been surrounded by the sound of jazz in its location in the heart of Fort Greene. The great vocalist Betty Carter lived across the street and pianist Cecil Taylor is still living around the corner. Over the years BMS has been graced with their music as well as performances by saxophonists Jimmy Heath (an NEA Jazz Master), Dewey Redman, and Sherman Irby - trombonist Robin Eubanks, and most recently trumpeter Ingrid Jensen.

Don’t miss this wondrous opportunity to help support the BMS Jazz Community while having a HOT TIME! with a great meal. GUARANTEED!

April 22: Exchange Concert Ecole d'Art Musical

Brooklyn Music School (BMS) presents an Exchange Concert with Suzuki String Students from Ecole d'Art Musical on Sunday, April 22, 2018 at 6pm at 126 Saint Felix Street, Brooklyn, NY. Tickets are free.

Join BMS for a special concert where they welcome students from the acclaimed Ecole d'Art Musical - a Suzuki Strings School in Paris, France. Over 50 students and parents of all ages will come from Paris to the Brooklyn Music School to participate in a cultural and musical exchange through the medium of music. In the concert, students from both schools will perform pieces together and separately. 

Throughout the years, the Brooklyn Music School has participated in several musical exchanges with schools in Europe, including music schools in Belgium and France. The strings department in the Brooklyn Music School has grown significantly over the past several years as well. What started as a small chamber orchestra has blossomed into a full youth orchestra and two adult orchestras! 

BMS strings students and students from Ecole d'Art Musical will join together on the BMS Theater stage for a concert showcasing how music unites and goes beyond borders of language and nationality.

Ecole d’Art Musical

Founded in 2012 in Paris, France, the Ecole d’Art Musical offers lessons to children starting as young at 3 years old. The pedagogy at Ecole d’Art Musical is inspired by the Suzuki and Rolland methods. This teaching method respects the speed of progression of each child, and it is based on a triangular balanced participation of the teachers, parents, and students. At Ecole d’Art Musical, there is the possibility for children to get together with each instrument and to rehearse orchestral pieces and also solo pieces in front of their classmates. Ecole d’Art Musical strives to create an emotional and supportive relationship between the students and supports them in developing their autonomy. This is a school where children learn to listen to each other, to respect each other, and to work together (in their collective lessons and concerts).

The Brooklyn Music School views music and performance as the birthright of all people, an essential way that human beings connect with others and explore their creativity. The study of music has been demonstrated to enhance academic learning and helps to develop discipline and confidence that will serve children well throughout their lives. As part of the vision of reinventing the community music school for the 21st Century, BMS is dedicated to:

* Making high quality musical instruction approachable and affordable to a wide range of students,

* Creating frequent opportunities for performance for our students and cultural enrichment for our community,

* Representing a wide range of musical traditions, including European, African, Middle Eastern, and American to represent the diversity of Brooklyn's musical talent, and

* Offering a warm and welcoming space for families and individuals to explore new talents and make lasting friendships.

SOLD OUT! Jimi Hendrix Tribute, ft Nels Cline

“Music doesn't lie. If there is something to be changed in this world, then it can only happen through music.” -- Jimi Hendrix

Nels Cline, Artistic Advisory Board Member for Brooklyn Music School, takes the stage on February 24 to pay homage to Jimi Hendrix. This cross-generational show celebrates the musical genius of Jimi Hendrix that goes beyond boundaries of time and space. Student bands from Brooklyn Music School will also be joining in for some of the classic Jimi Hendrix songs. Expect to hear a wide array of classic Jimi Hendrix songs from Foxy Lady to Jam Back at the House and everything in between. The show will also feature light projections by DRIPPY EYE. 

Line-Up:
Nels Cline - guitar, vocals
Trevor Dunn - bass
Donald McKenzie - drums
John Medeski - keyboard
Featuring Light Projections by DRIPPY EYE

Photos Credit: Nathan West

February 3: ExME with Marjan Farsad

Marjan Farsad and her band will return to play in Brooklyn NY. The band will perform rearrangement of songs from "Blue Flowers" plus new tunes.
Tickets: $22-$26-$30
Saturday, Feb 3, 2018 7:00 PM (Sold out!) and 9:00 PM (some tickets still available)

Marjan Farsad - Vocals
Alex Clough - Keys
Steve Mayone - Guitar
Antón Serrats - Bass
Yahya Alkhansa Drums
Nima Farzaneh - Accordion

Photo by: Morteza Khaki

February 10: Songs Full of Heart

Come join us in celebration of love and music! 

February 10th @ 5:00 p.m. at the Brooklyn Music School | 126 St. Felix Street, Brooklyn, NY 11217

The Brooklyn Music School is proud to present the 5th annual Valentine's Day concert entitled "Songs full of Heart". Produced by the Vocal Department, the concert will feature our talented BMS vocalists and ensembles performing songs that speak of the power of love and human connections. Beyond words, the program will feature tunes that melt hearts and inspire bonds.

Jan 13: MLK Jr. Tribute ft. Lester Lynch

Brooklyn Music School presents

Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute: Spirit of Hope

Featuring Lester Lynch

Saturday, January 13, 2018 at 5 p.m. 

Brooklyn Music School (BMS) presents Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute: Spirit of Hope on January 13th, 2018 at 5pm. BMS is located at 126 Saint Felix Street, Brooklyn. 

"Out of the mountain of despair, a stone of Hope" – Dr. King
Brooklyn Music School is honored to present the 16th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute concert hosted by renowned baritone and BMS advisory board member Lester Lynch. Inspired by Dr. King's legacy and message, the program will feature selections from Mr. Lynch's recent recording On My Journey Now: Spirituals & Hymns as well as performances by BMS faculty and students.

---

LESTER LYNCH, an established dramatic baritone, is making his mark in some of the world’s leading opera houses. Known for his charismatic portrayals and commanding voice, he is receiving rave reviews as he masters some of the most important baritone roles from Scarpia to Rigoletto to Count di Luna. Opera Today recently enthused, “It was booming baritone Lester Lynch who served notice that he is now in consideration for admittance to the Scarpia Preferred Pantheon - when he needed to pour it on he had the Puccinian fire power and the dramatic heat to raise the hair on the back of your neck.” The Cincinnati Enquirer wrote, “Lester Lynch made a superb Macbeth, delivering an authoritative performance with a firm, powerful voice and wonderfully communicating both tragedy and madness.”

His most recent performances include Lescaut in Puccini’s Manon Lescaut under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle with the Festspielhaus Baden-Baden, Crown in Porgy and Bess with the Opéra de Montréal, as Amonasro in Verdi’s Aida with Pittsburgh Opera, as Carbon in Cyrano de Begerac with San Francisco Opera, as Herald in Lohengrin with Lyric Opera of Chicago, as Gérald in Andrea Chénier with the Bregenzer Festspiele, as Nottingham in Roberto Devereaux and Count Di Luna in Il Trovatore with Minnesota Opera. His latest debuts include a back-to-back engagement with the Fundação Calouste Gulbenkian in Portugal where he was featured as Iago in Verdi’s Otello and in the title role of Verdi’s Falstaff.

Upcoming performances include Nabucco with the Welsh National Opera, Amonasro with the Bergen National Opera in Norway, and Shylock in The Merchant of Venice with the Warsaw National Opera. Upcoming recordings include Iago in Verdi’s Otello, Porgy in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess and a Verissimo French Aria CD to be recorded by Pentatone Classics.

Mr. Lynch has worked with some of the world’s most renowned conductors and directors. Under the baton of Sir Simon Rattle and the Berlin Philharmonic, he has sung the role of Crown in Gershwin’s Porgy and Bess, and the Bauer in Schoenberg’s Gurrelieder. He has also appeared with conductors Sir Andrew Davis, Placido Domingo, Larry Foster, Ulf Schirmer, and John DeMain, and performed under eminent directors Sir Richard Eyre, Christopher Alden and Francesca Zambello.

His performance of Crown with San Francisco Opera ‘s production of Porgy and Bess was recently released on DVD. Pentatone Classics has released his recordings of two operas by the contemporary composer Gordon Getty – the title role in Plumpjack, and Cauchon in Joan and the Bells. Another important release is a recording of Mahler’s Symphony No.8 conducted by JoAnn Falletta.

Mr. Lynch’s regular repertoire includes Amonasro in Verdi’s Aida, Marcello in Puccini’s La Boheme, Germont in Verdi’s La Traviata, Count DiLuna in Trovatore, the tile role of Rigoletto, Iago in Otello, the tile role in Verdi’s Falstaff, Guglielmo in Puccini’s Le Villi, Paolo in Verdi’s Simon Boccanegra, Flint in Britten’s Billy Budd, Renato in Un Ballo in Maschera, Alfio in Cavalleria Rusticana, Tonio in I Pagliacci, Scarpia in Puccini’s Tosca and the title role in Verdi’s Macbeth.

An accomplished concert artist, Mr. Lynch has performed a wide and varied repertoire with orchestras across the world, including the Berlin Philharmonic, the New York Philharmonic, the National Symphony Orchestra, Houston Symphony Orchestra, Cleveland Orchestra, and the American Symphony Orchestra. His recent Carnegie Hall solo debut of Karl A. Hartmann’s Gesangsszene with the American Symphony Orchestra received rave reviews.

Mr. Lynch has received many distinguished awards, including the Metropolitan Opera National Council Auditions, the George London Vocal Competition, and the Sullivan Awards. His work with Opera Theatre of Saint Louis earned him the Richard Gaddes Award.

His recent volunteer work includes two engagements with the Harare International Festival of Art in Zimbabwe in 2012 and 2013 where he produced a night of arias and ensembles with a group of his colleagues.

Artists for Puerto Rico Benefit Concert

The first edition of Artists for Puerto Rico will be held on November 11, 2017 at 4 pm at Brooklyn Music School (BMS), 126 Saint Felix Street, Brooklyn.

Tickets are $30-50 and are available at www.artistsforpuertorico.com. All proceeds will benefit the Boys & Girls Club of Puerto Rico.

“For this first edition, the Brooklyn-based, Latin jazz group SUPERMAMBO will open for the two-time Grammy-winning Spanish Harlem Orchestra,” said Rafael Rosa, a Puerto Rican guitarist/composer and an organizer of the event. “We are all donating our talent and time. This is a long road ahead for them, as most of the island is still without basic necessities.”

“Rafael has been a dedicated faculty member for many years and was the guy to turn to when BMS wanted to help the people of Puerto Rico. I knew that his passion, motivation, and reputation as a guitarist and composer would make this event happen,” said Piruz Partow, executive director of Brooklyn Music School.

Hurricane María’s strong winds and rain brought disaster to Puerto Rico, including deaths and losses of millions of dollars to individuals, local government, and the private sector. Many of the island residents are still without power, which has caused issues with food distribution, access to water, and other basic needs.

“We know that the recovery process will be long for Puerto Rico, for which we have decided to get in touch with artists of all kinds as well as other organizations that are doing an amazing job in helping Puerto Rico,” said Orlando Montañez, organizer and co-founder of the Puerto Rico event production company, CUBE Group Events. “We have selected Boys & Girls Club de Puerto Rico, which has been helping children and teens on the Island for over 50 years, for this first edition,” Montañez added.

For more information about the Organization and how to contribute, visit www.bgcpr.org.

Relief Concert Series: Latin Edition, is a concert series in which important music artists will be

participating in order to contribute and donate to nonprofit entities that help the communities

most affected by Hurricane María in Puerto Rico.

For more information and tickets, visit www.artistsforpuertorico.com.

Spanish Harlem Orchestra, the two-time Grammy-winning Salsa and Latin Jazz band, sets the standard for excellence for authentic, New York style, hardcore salsa. Live or recorded, it doesn't get any better. Whether a concert hall or an outdoor jazz festival, there is no easing you in, they are coming at you full force from start to finish. Their energy on stage, rich sound and musical precision leave audiences mesmerized until the last note is played. With an unwavering respect for the music’s rich history, thirteen world-class musicians and vocalists come together to create an unparalleled musical experience. Now in its fourteenth year, SHO, as they are known to fans, is dedicated to the sounds of the barrio. Their music is characterized by the raw, organic and vintage sound defined by the genre. They are on a mission to keep the musical legacy of salsa dura "hard salsa" alive and expand its audience to those who love great music, not just Latin music. Grounded in the past, while focused on the future, they strive to keep the music relevant, while creating a unique and fresh approach. With four albums, and as many Grammy nominations, this Latin Jazz powerhouse knows it is crucial to continually push themselves and raise the bar.  They recently released their fifth album, featuring two of America's great jazz icons, Chick Corea & saxophonist Joe Lovano. Oscar Hernandez and Spanish Harlem Orchestra continue to raise the bar of excellence in their music.

About SUPERMAMBO

Mambo King and timbalero extraordinaire Tito Puente was also an accomplished vibraphone player. The instrument was prominently featured on his early mambo recordings. Grammy-nominated Felipe Fournier is a percussionist and vibes player from Costa Rica who plays with Ruben Blades and classic salsa outfit Our Latin Thing. He has assembled a group of musicians who have collectively played with some of the greatest Latin musicians – Eddie Palmieri, Willie Colon as well as the late Tito Puente himself.

BMS Presents: Lead Belly, Brooklyn!

Brooklyn Music School (BMS) presents Lead Belly, Brooklyn!, an All-Ages Sensory-Friendly Event featuring Dan Zanes, Claudia Eliaza, Pauline Jean and students from BMS on Friday, November 17, 2017 at 7 p.m. BMS is located at 126 Saint Felix Street, Brooklyn. Tickets are $5-15.

Join us for a Community Celebration of Lead Belly’s Legacy at Brooklyn Music School. This unique event will feature Dan Zanes, Claudia Eliaza, and Pauline Jean performing a selection of Lead Belly’s music with the students of the Brooklyn Music School.

“Lead Belly's music made me want to play as a 7-year-old, and I've been doing that ever since,” said Zanes. “Lead Belly was the reason I started making music, and Lead Belly was the template for everything I've done in family music. I consider him to be the father of modern family music.”

At the end of the event, audience members will also have the opportunity to participate in a music video with Dan Zanes for the song "Rock Island Line" from his most recent album: "Lead Belly, Baby!,” produced with Smithsonian Folkways Recordings, and the event will also be filmed for a future documentary on the legacy of Lead Belly.

Grammy Award-winner Dan Zanes occupies a unique place in American music where sea shanties, folk music, the spirit of early rock 'n' roll, and soulful originals collide. For over 15 years he has performed everywhere from thrift shop basements to Carnegie Hall, from Brooklyn to Bahrain and beyond, meanwhile releasing over a dozen children's albums and several DVDs reconnecting people to forgotten songs. Referred to as "the family-music genre's most outspoken and eloquent advocate" by TIME magazine, his widely acclaimed music has all been featured on Sesame Street, Playhouse Disney, Nickelodeon, HBO Family, and Sprout. Zanes recently finished “ Lead Belly, Baby!,” an album released on the Smithsonian/Folkways label celebrating the children's music of his main inspiration, Lead Belly (1889–1949), known as the King of the 12-String Guitar. Routinely performing with a large roster of friends, Zanes will be joined by Haitian-American jazz vocalists Claudia Eliaza and Pauline Jean, and other special guests.

The show will be sensory friendly. Zanes and his fiancée, Claudia Eliaza, are pioneers in the sensory-friendly performance movement. The Kennedy Center recently commissioned the two to create the first sensory-friendly folk opera, Night Train 57. “For me, the folk experience is about inclusion and participation -- welcoming people in,” Zanes said. “The spirit of Lead Belly's music that affected me as a 7-year-old drives me to want to create and present in a sensory-friendly atmosphere today.”

ABOUT THE ALBUM

Dan Zanes discovered Lead Belly's music on the day he got his first library card. On “Lead Belly, Baby!”, the GRAMMY-winning family music performer presents a fresh vision of Lead Belly's music for a new generation with a little help from his friends. Along with guests including Chuck D., Billy Bragg, Aloe Blacc, and Valerie June, Zanes brings the music of this American icon back full circle to its original home on Smithsonian Folkways Recordings.

For more information about the album, visit https://folkways.si.edu/dan-zanes-and-friends/lead-belly-baby.