From the Executive Director, September 2024
As we embark on a new school year at Brooklyn Music School(BMS), I'd like to first reflect upon the last few months within the organization. After arriving at a truly critical financial moment last spring, I am overjoyed to say that the outpouring of support from the community and beyond allowed BMS to continue offering our wide variety of programs through the summer months uninterrupted. On behalf of our staff, faculty and Board of Trustees, we want to sincerely thank each and every person that donated to our June fundraising campaign. With new administrative structures, approaches, and upcoming fundraising, we anticipate a much more stabilized year ahead. I would also like to congratulate all of the Summer Institute and Intensive students for their incredible work and performances throughout July and August.
In entering the Fall semester and beyond, we are excited to bring all of our historic programmatic offerings back once again to our students. I'd like to encourage the community to enjoy as many of our annual events at BMS as possible, some of which include the Halloween Fall Celebration, New York City Marathon outdoor concert, MLK Celebration concert, and many more. We also plan to usher in new happenings, performance opportunities, and special events in our Playhouse space and throughout the city. It is our honor and pleasure to serve such a beautiful community through the joy of the performing arts.
With gratitude,
Brian Adamczyk
Executive Director
From The Executive Director
As we forge into the spring, the Brooklyn Music School is taking calculated steps to better understand the populations we serve…
“As we forge into the spring, the Brooklyn Music School is taking calculated steps to better understand the populations we serve, areas that we hope to impact in the future, and how we can build an even more diverse team of administrative staff and teaching artist faculty.”
The Brooklyn Music School 2023-24 has already been filled with exciting new offerings within our Programming Department, while still featuring staples such as our MLK Celebration concert, monthly recitals, and Holiday Spectacular. We have seen incredible growth and increased impact with Adult Programming in particular, as well as Early Childhood and Musical Theater.
As we forge into the spring, the Brooklyn Music School is taking calculated steps to better understand the populations we serve, areas that we hope to impact in the future, and how we can build an even more diverse team of administrative staff and teaching artist faculty. Our organization has also recently completed some major upgrades to the facility, including more than 25 new classroom door replacements, ceiling improvements in the basement, and a better imagined layout of classroom configurations. BMS has also officially embarked on a major renovation of the Playhouse exterior through the support of the Department of Design and Construction. This critical repair to the roof and upper areas of the Playhouse is now slated to be completed in the coming years. We believe these upgrades will continue the advancement of how we can better improve the overall experience of delivering dozens upon dozens of performing arts programs to the broader community.
As always, BMS will be exploring several fundraising events between now and through the summer months, which will range in size, atmosphere and features. In order to uphold our core mission of providing affordable and accessible, quality programming, we hope to raise critical funds through upcoming events and artistic experiences for the community to support these efforts.
Spring Gala 2023
This season we will have many exciting happenings starting this month! With Women's History Month, BMS will celebrate many of the women who made profound contributions to the arts over the decades. Our annual Middle School Jazz Fest, Shredfest Rock Department concert, and Spring Spectacular are just some of the major performance opportunities on the horizon. We also hope your children will join us in one or more of our summer offerings, from Summer Institute and Summer Intensives, to private lessons, ensembles, and more.
On behalf of my esteemed colleagues and staff at the Brooklyn Music School, we proudly serve the community to continue providing as many artistic experiences to the public as we can. Have a wonderful and safe spring season, and we'll see you at the Brooklyn Music School soon!
From The Executive Director
We have so many exciting things on the horizon for 2024, and it continues to be our honor to deliver unique, creative, and wide-ranging experiences to the community.
““We have so many exciting things on the horizon for 2024, and it continues to be our honor to deliver unique, creative, and wide-ranging experiences to the community. ”
”
The fall semester at Brooklyn Music School started with energized and robust offerings in September, ranging from special guest artist events, to historical and new programming opportunities. It is still our complete and dedicated focus to provide affordable, accessible instruction to all those that wish to receive it. As we find ourselves moving quickly through the school year, I'd like to highlight some of the most notable efforts our organization has delivered to the community.
While our core programmatic divisions continue to consist of Music, Dance, Musical Theater, and Music Therapy, new efforts have been put in place to foster growth in quality and variety within each curricula. We have generated a newly imagined Early Childhood class approach and welcomed Emma Simpson as Department Chair. We believe this more focused path will ensure students move more seamlessly through programming throughout the years.
Adult programming is on the rise, and our beloved Community Choir returned once again this year, presented as a free offering to participating students. We also made a calculated decision to cease any full time tenants during the daytime, allowing for the re-imagining of our historic facility to optimize BMS programming once again.
There are many ambitious projects that have either been realized this fall, or are in place for 2024. In October, we welcomed Grammy winner, and highly sought after pianist Robert Glasper to the BMS Playhouse for an unforgettable performance for the community. Additionally, we welcomed the premiere of a new composition entitled Moving Voices, written by BMS faculty member Alon Nechushtan on November 8th. The ensemble that toured the piece consisted of award winning vocalist Sara Serpa, as well as two prominent French musicians, Louis and Francois Moutin. The final performance culminated at the prestigious Le Baiser Salé jazz club in Paris. This was designed to compliment a budding partnership with a music school in France, as well as cultivating the facilitation of new music for our audiences.
Robert Glasper at BMS
Moving Voices (from top left to right bottom): Alon Nechustan, Francois Moutin, Sara Serpa, Louis Moutin
We have so many exciting things on the horizon for 2024, and it continues to be our honor to deliver unique, creative, and wide-ranging experiences to the community. I want to thank my incredible staff, faculty and Board of Trustees for their ongoing work and dedication to the mission statement. It is our pleasure to serve each and every person that walks through our doors, or experiences our offerings remotely. On behalf of the Brooklyn Music School, I'd like to wish everyone a happy, healthy and joyful holiday season.
From The Executive Director
As summer draws to a close, I would like to reflect on some of the incredible experiences that the Brooklyn Music School recently offered to the community.
““As summer draws to a close, I would like to reflect on some of the incredible experiences that the Brooklyn Music School recently offered to the community. ”
”
As summer draws to a close, I would like to reflect on some of the incredible experiences that the Brooklyn Music School recently offered to the community.
Our Summer Music and Dance Institute returned once again, allowing hundreds of children the opportunity to receive programming in music, dance, and musical theater. Field trips, culminating performances, and new friendships filled the 6 weeks of programming. A major highlight was welcoming multi-Grammy award winner Jon Batiste to the Playhouse for an afternoon of workshops with various BMS students of all ages. He ended the day by inviting those very students to sit in with him during a free concert for the community from the BMS Playhouse, a day none of us will ever forget.
Brooklyn Music School has also embarked on many new initiatives to improve, reorganize, and enhance our ability to deliver the best quality programming while keeping tuition rates well below market rate. Looking on to the 2023-24 school year, the community can expect all of the same historic BMS programmatic offerings such as lessons, ensembles, group classes, and robust performance experiences. In some more exciting news, BMS will also continue expanding its Music Therapy division after recently becoming an accredited institution.
This past school year also allowed me the pleasure of further developing our relationship with the acclaimed Ecole d'Art Musical in Paris, France. We are making strides to launch a student cultural exchange in the near future, an unprecedented opportunity for the students.
With so many new and creative initiatives in our upcoming planning, we are sure this will be the most exciting year at the Brooklyn Music School yet. We can't wait to see you here!
From The Executive Director
Spring is upon us at the Brooklyn Music School, and we are so excited to be offering the community so many experiences between now and the end of the school year.
From The Desk Of…
“We are here to serve, enrich and support the public through the performing arts.”
Hello Brooklyn Music School families, friends, and community!
Spring is upon us at the Brooklyn Music School, and we are so excited to be offering the community so many experiences between now and the end of the school year. Our Spring semester of programming and instruction is in full swing.
I would like to highlight two new performance opportunities created with the community in mind. Our first ever rock band event, Shred Fest 2023, took place on April 1st in the BMS Playhouse. The evening featured BMS Rock Bands of all ages and abilities. We also hosted a total of 19 bands, some of which were from outside organizations and our friends at Kids Rock for Kids. Also, the BMS Jazz Department will host our first dedicated jazz celebration event in May in the Playhouse (stay tuned for more info). All jazz ensembles, jazz faculty and a community jam session at the end will celebrate the wonderful offerings in this communal experience.
See More at #BMSRockFest
Looking ahead, please secure your spot in one or more of our 6 weeks of Summer Institute camp experiences, as well as any of the one week Intensives. We look forward to returning to our historic camp format that will include exciting field trips, performance opportunities and walks to Fort Greene Park. Programming ranges from Strings, Jazz, Musical Theater, Dance and Music Production. Private Lessons and group classes will also run all of July and August.
Follow #BMSSummerHeartBeats
The 2023 BMS Fundraising Gala will occur on May 23rd at Rule of Thirds, an incredible venue in the heart of Greenpoint. All ticket sales, donations and sponsorships will provide crucial revenue for BMS as a nonprofit. These funds will make it possible for BMS to continue offering the affordable, and at times, free, programming and scholarships to the community. Thank you in advance for your continued support, we couldn't do it without you!
Lastly, BMS is undoubtedly opening up a new chapter. Between new programmatic offerings, growth in enrollment, and fresh BMS administrative leadership, we have so many unique and meaningful experiences to offer the public. Stay tuned for many upcoming events, collaborations and experiences for summer and fall, to be announced in the coming newsletters.
Thank you for being part of the Brooklyn Music School community. We are here to serve, enrich and support the public through the performing arts. Our programs will always be available to any and all that wish to receive them, regardless of economic standing or resources. This year officially marks the 114th year of existence for BMS, and we can't wait to show you what's up next. Onward!
From the Executive Director
This summer was action packed with both returning and new programmatic efforts! Summer Music and Dance Institute ran from July through August, and ended with student performances. BMS also premiered the new community fundraiser, Beer & Beats that showcased adult students, faculty, and staff throughout local breweries. I also travelled to Paris to visit Ecole D’Art Musical, a music school with a similar feel to BMS. It is my intention to facilitate a cultural exchange program.
From the Desk of…
“ At BMS Brooklyn, the focus is providing quality, accessible performing arts programming to all those that wish to receive it and we believe that cultivating a healthy overall lifestyle is also paramount. ”
Running the streets of Paris!
This summer was action packed with both returning and new programmatic efforts! Summer Music and Dance Institute ran from July through August, and ended with student performances. BMS also premiered the new community fundraiser, Beer & Beats that showcased adult students, faculty, and staff throughout local breweries. I also travelled to Paris to visit Ecole D’Art Musical, a music school with a similar feel to BMS. It is my intention to facilitate a student exchange program.
Summer Institute 2022
Teaching in Paris.
We are excited about fall at BMS Brooklyn! With a new Curriculum Developer joining the staff in September the programming will evolve into effective and developmentally appropriate classes that align with our core values and state standards.
The BMS Artist in Residence program is hosting the second guest BMS’ own teaching artist, Emily Tepe, professionally known as IVA. BMS AIR allows our students a unique opportunity to experience a professional artist’s creative process and invites the community to make meaningful connections.
IVA: Summer 2021
Partnering with local organizations such as: Barclays Center, Bloomingdale School of Music, and Mark Morris Dance Group remains a priority. And renovations to this historic property are in always happening behind the scenes.
At BMS Brooklyn, are focus is providing quality, accessible performing arts programming to all those that wish to receive it and we believe that cultivating a healthy overall lifestyle is also paramount.
