April 30: Artist Certificate Extravaganza

Artist Certificate Showcase and Open Jam Session

Brooklyn Music School's Artist Certificate Extravaganza will feature solo performances by individual candidates, as well as the Artist Certificate Ensemble. Including original songwriting and interpretations of well-known pieces, this showcase is a great way to see what our students have been developing.

Afterwards, there will be an open jam session led collectively by AC students and faculty.

Kitt F-C is an eclectic singer-songwriter, rapper, and one-man show from Brooklyn, NY. Kitt F-C draws influences from a range of artists such as Prince, Stevie Wonder, Elvis Costello, Squeeze, Rockpile, Bruno Mars, Frank Ocean, The Weeknd, Tracy Chapman, Fiona Apple, Fleetwood Mac, Jimi Hendrix and Kanye West, to name only a few. His gutsy, nostalgic musical dramas find themselves tactfully cradled under a pop sheen that is sure to catch the ears of some of the great hitmakers of this era. And there may not even be a genre out there that this guy wouldn't dare to touch!

Coming Up: Will Calhoun Masterclass on May 4th

The Brooklyn Music School welcomes acclaimed drummer and Bronx native, Will Calhoun, to the stage on Saturday May 4, 2019 at 5 pm where he will give a master class prior to the annual drum recital by BMS students. This is a free event with a suggested donation of $5.

When asked about the upcoming event, Piruz Partow, BMS’ Executive Director commented, “We are thrilled and honored to have Mr. Calhoun at BMS. In recent years, BMS has hosted jazz greats Victor Lewis and Mickey Roker, as well as Steve Shelley from Sonic Youth. This is yet another monumental occasion for BMS’ students to learn from, perform for, and interact with a world class musician. I am so excited for our drum students, families, faculty,  and community.”

Following the master class, BMS students will showcase all they have been learning in their annual drum recital. BMS Drum department has grown tremendously under the leadership of Brian Woodruff, who also co-chairs BMS’s thriving Jazz department.

The master class and recital will be held in BMS’ landmarked  Playhouse Theater located at 126 St. Felix Street, Brooklyn, NY,  This event is open to the public and sponsored by Sabian Cymbal Company.

Will Calhoun, the widely acclaimed drummer from the Bronx, New York, graduated from the Berklee School of Music in Boston, where he received a Bachelor's degree in Music Production and engineering. He was also the recipient of the prestigious Buddy Rich Jazz Masters Award for outstanding performance by a drummer.

Will Calhoun's unique blend of improvisational and hard rock drumming can be found on each of Living Colour's four Epic releases: the groundbreaking multi-platinum debut, Vivid, the critically acclaimed sophomore LP, Time's Up, the Biscuits EP, and Stain, as well as their latest release on Sanctuary Records, CollideØscope. A prolific songwriter, Will has co-written many Living Colour compositions and wrote the critically acclaimed song, Pride, on the Time's Up album and Nothingness on the Stain album. As a member of Living Colour, Will received a Grammy Award for Best Hard Rock Performance by a group and another Grammy for Best Hard Rock Performance. Living Colour also won an International Rock Award for Best Rock Band.

Not many artists have the vision and artistic energy to be Grammy winners and contribute to so many genres: jazz, rock, hip-hop, ambient, et al, while concurrently producing, touring, creating new projects, working on films, and continually pushing the envelope. Will Calhoun has this creative vision, and he is doing an extraordinary job keeping music a spiritual and motivating force in his life.

CANTA CON NOSOTROS!

BROOKLYN MUSIC SCHOOL (BMS) TO OFFER A WEEK OF EARLY CHILDHOOD MUSIC CLASSES IN SPANISH THIS MAY 2019

As part of an effort to continue growing and developing its Early Childhood Music Department and class offerings for students ages 0 - 5,  the Brooklyn Music School will be holding a series of early childhood classes in Spanish during the week of May 13.

On May 15, 16, 18 and 19, Julian will leading his regular classes in Spanish with the aim of children getting to learn Spanish through music. The classes will be a good opportunity to learn about Spanish speaking cultures through music as well. In the classes, students will go over basic verbs, vocabulary and reinforce it through song. Other topics to be covered would include Numbers, Animals and Family members.

In this program, young children and their caregivers will further their musical understanding through singing, echo songs, call and response, music and movement activities, and musical games. We off a variety of class options designed to engage musicians of all levels from infants through 5 years old.

If you’d like to drop in on several of the classes, we recommend purchasing our 10-class pass which allows you to drop in on any, and as many classes a week as your schedule permits.

About Julian Ruiz

Julian’s started taking Flamenco guitar lesson in high school while growing up in Cordoba, Spain. In the pursuit of furthering his musical horizons, he completed his Bachelors at Berklee College of Music (Summa Cum Laude) and later obtained his Masters degree in Jazz Performance (Magna Cum Laude) from Queens College studying under musicians such as Mike Moreno, Antonio Hart, Alain Mallet, Michael Mossman and many more. He also has extensive experience as an educator doing a lot of work with Pre-K groups. He currently teaches many of BMS's Early Childhood Music classes throughout the week.

BMS Earns GuideStar’s Highest Seal of Transparency

Platinum Seal Allows Donors to Focus on Progress and Results

Brooklyn, New York — Today, the Brooklyn Music School earned a 2019 Platinum Seal of Transparency, the highest level of recognition offered by GuideStar, the world’s largest source of nonprofit information. By sharing metrics that highlight progress the Brooklyn Music School is making toward its mission, the organization is helping donors move beyond simplistic ways of nonprofit evaluation such as overhead ratios.

"In accordance with our long-held belief in being transparent about our work,” said Piruz Partow, “we are excited to convey our organization’s results in a user-friendly and highly visual manner. By updating our GuideStar Nonprofit Profile to earn a Platinum Seal, we can now easily share a wealth of up-to-date organizational metrics with our supporters as well as GuideStar's immense online audience, which includes donors, grantmakers, our peers, and the media."

To reach the Platinum level, we added extensive information to our GuideStar Nonprofit Profile: basic contact and organizational information; in-depth financial information; qualitative information about goals, strategies, and capabilities; and quantitative information about results and progress toward its mission. By taking the time to provide this information, the Brooklyn Music School has demonstrated its commitment to transparency and to giving donors and funders meaningful data to evaluate nonprofit performance.

"I encourage you to visit our Nonprofit Profile on GuideStar to see what we're all about," added Piruz. “We’re thrilled that our Platinum Seal of Transparency and the associated benefits help us better communicate our organization’s exciting initiatives at a global scale."

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.

About GuideStar Nonprofit Profiles

The GuideStar database contains a profile for every tax-exempt nonprofit registered with the IRS. GuideStar encourages every nonprofit to claim and update its profile at no cost to the organization. Updating allows nonprofits to share a wealth of up-to-date information with the more than 10 million people who visit GuideStar to learn more about nonprofit organizations each year. Updating also allows nonprofits to share information with the more than 200 philanthropic websites and applications that are powered by GuideStar data. To reach a given participation level, organizations need to complete all required fields for that participation level. The GuideStar participation levels, acknowledged as symbols of transparency in the nonprofit sector, are displayed on all updated participants' profiles in the GuideStar database. GuideStar, guidestar.org, is the world’s largest source of nonprofit information, connecting people and organizations with data on 2.7 million current and formerly IRS-recognized nonprofits. Each year, more than 10 million people, including individual donors, nonprofit leaders, grantmakers, government officials, academic researchers, and the media, use GuideStar data to make intelligent decisions about the social sector. GuideStar Nonprofit Profiles are populated with information directly from nonprofits, the IRS, and other partners in the nonprofit sector. The Seal levels, acknowledged as symbols of transparency in the nonprofit sector, are earned by nonprofits providing specific information to its profile to. In addition, users see GuideStar data on more than 200 philanthropic websites and applications like AmazonSmile, Facebook, and Network for Good. Foundation Center and GuideStar joined forces to become Candid, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. Find out more at candid.org and on Twitter @CandidDotOrg.

Announcing: Strings Students France Trip 2019

La Madeleine, where the concert will be on April 23, 2019.

Brooklyn Music School (BMS) will be performing in Paris on April 23 at the Parish of La Madeleine at 4 pm, and on April 24 at the Town Hall of the 5th Arrondissement at 5pm. In preparation for the trip, BMS will be holding a concert on April 13 at the Brooklyn Music School as a chance for the students to perform their repertoire for the BMS community, and as a fundraiser to cover some of the costs of the upcoming trip.

Exchange Concert with Ecold d’Art Musical on the BMS Theater Stage in April 2018.

Following a successful concert with students from the acclaimed Ecole d'Art Musical - a Suzuki Strings School in Paris, France, in April 2018, BMS will be sending students to Paris for a series of concerts during Spring Break in April.

"BMS has had a tradition of presenting students abroad during the 1950s and 1960s,” says Piruz Partow, BMS Executive Director, “and our trip to Belgium in 2015 really ignited our school and community. Our string program is the strongest that it's ever been thanks to Michael Vanonni and I am proud that he and his students will represent the school, the borough, the city, state, and our country."

Exchange Concert with Ecold d’Art Musical on the BMS Theater Stage in April 2018.

Throughout the years, the Brooklyn Music School has participated in several musical exchanges with schools in Europe, including music schools in Belgium and France. Part of the Mission of BMS is to create unique and memorable performance opportunities for our students, and opportunities such as traveling abroad to perform are special, life-changing experiences where our students have the opportunity to forge new friendships and broaden their horizons, which is especially relevant for the inner city population that attends BMS.

The strings department in the Brooklyn Music School has grown significantly over the past few years under the leadership of Michael Vanonni, BMS Strings Department Chair. What started as a small chamber orchestra has blossomed into a full youth orchestra and two adult orchestras.

When asked about how the preparations are going for the trip, Michael Vannoni, Strings Department Chair, said, “The students are working very hard to prepare and you can tangibly feel the excitement growing as the date of the trip gets closer. We had a very successful exchange concert with the Ecole d’Art Musical last year, and we are delighted to have the chance to visit them in their hometown and perform together again in Paris.”

BMS students and students from Ecole d'Art Musical will be performing in two exceptional venues in Paris including, the Parish of La Madeleine, whose history dates back to the 13th century, and the Town Hall of the 5th Arrondissement, also known as Panthéon. It is one of the central arrondissements of the capital and is notable for being the location of the Latin Quarter, a district dominated by universities, colleges, and prestigious high schools since the 12th century when the Sorbonne University was created. The 5th arrondissement is also one of the oldest districts of the city, dating back to ancient times.

Introducing: Early Music 10 Class Pass

Designed to provide more flexibility with our early childhood music and movement schedule, our new 10-class pass give you our lowest class price and access to any of our early childhood music classes at your leisure* (*Space permitting).

When purchasing the 10-class pass, you are purchasing a set of 10 drop in classes at the reduced price of $15/class. You can apply this pass to any of the early childhood music classes we use. You just need to call or email ahead of the class you want to take to ensure there is space that day.

Make sure to call us at 718-638-5660 or email our registrar to reserve your space before attending each class.

As we cap the classes at 10 students, space isn’t guaranteed.

Coming Up: Middle School Jazz Fest

Brooklyn Music School (BMS) presents the 6th Annual Middle School Jazz Festival on Saturday, March 2, 2018 from 12pm to 6:30pm, with a concert at 4:30pm, followed by a jam session with students, faculty, and guest artist. BMS is located at 126 Saint Felix Street, Brooklyn. Concert tickets are a $10 suggested donation.

Helen Sung will be holding a clinic on rhythm at the beginning of the festival.

The festival will feature performances by participating middle schools, a rhythm section clinic by special guest clinician Helen Sung, clinics by the BMS faculty, professional development for participating school faculty members, and a closing concert/awards ceremony. This year, BMS welcomes Donald Harrison, “the King of Nouveau Swing” to the festival as the guest host. Previous guest artists have included: Ingrid Jensen, Dr. Victor Lewis, Robin Eubanks, Sherman Irby, and Duane Eubanks.

BMS welcomes Donald Harrison, “the King of Nouveau Swing” to the festival as the guest host.

Festivals, such as this, are important for the development and training of budding jazz musicians in America. When asked about the inspiration behind this annual jazz festival, Piruz Partow, BMS Executive Director said, “I went to hear Jazz pianist Randy Weston speak several years ago, and he spoke of the importance of teaching jazz early, and remarked how musicians from Europe and Japan were playing American Music/Jazz better than us, and this really gave Jeff Newell, BMS Jazz Department Co-Chair, and I the idea to do a Middle School Jazz Festival.”

The following schools will be participating in this year’s Jazz Festival: The Berkeley Carroll School, Community Roots Charter School, NEST+M, and Ocean Hill Collegiate Charter School. Though the festival is noncompetitive, the guest artist and the BMS faculty will be adjudicating performances to offer suggestions/encouragement and will award certificates for outstanding musicianship. The Brooklyn Music School intends for this festival to strengthen middle school jazz programs and build jazz community among young musicians in Brooklyn.

Announcing: Summer Registration now OPEN

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Brooklyn Music School (BMS) announces registration for the Summer Music & Dance Institute, providing children ages 5- 8 with broad introduction to music, dance, and the performing arts at Brooklyn's best and most affordable summer programming. For older children, ages 9 – 12, BMS has created tailor-made intensives exploring one music or dance area in more detail. BMS's seven-week program is packed with creativity, fun, and new friendships.

The "best-kept-secret" for an affordable and enriching experience for Brooklyn kids, the BMS Summer Music & Dance Institute is designed so families can choose one week or all seven weeks, to accommodate other summer travel plans. Students get exposed to learning new instruments from BMS's world-class music faculty, learn new dance moves from our dance teachers, and put it all together in performances in the famous BMS theater.

The breadth of activities includes: African Drums, Contemporary Dance, Drum Rhythmology, Hip Hop, Music FUNdamentals, Musical Theater, Piano, Ukulele, Guitar, Violin

Musical instruction and performance is combined with frequent field trips, outdoor play.  There will be two performances during the summer for parents and friends. 

Class sizes are kept small and based on age and previous training. With a staff of talented performers with a passion for kids, this can be a great introduction that leads to more formal instruction in a group or private setting during the school year.

For children ages 9 – 12, Brooklyn Music School will be offering a series of intensives focusing on dance, hip hop, jazz, rock band, and orchestra. These intensives are specifically tailored for older students to engage older, more experienced students.

Program hours are 8 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., with an extended day option to 6:00 p.m. for an additional fee.

COSTS AND FEES

The fee for each week is $400 with an additional $10 per day for extended day. Early Bird discount available until March 1, 2019.

Announcing: First Friday Sound Baths

Brooklyn Music School (BMS) announces First Friday Sound Baths on Fridays: March 1, April 5, May 3, and June 7, 2019 from 7 pm – 8:30 pm. Registration is on a sliding scale, with a $20 suggested donation. RSVP at: https://firstfridaysoundbaths.eventbrite.com

As part of the Brooklyn Music School’s expanding Music Therapy offerings, BMS will be offering a series of four Sound Baths on the first Friday of each month starting in March. Sound Baths offer an opportunity to unplug from the on-going demands of daily life. With the sounds of crystal and Himalayan singing bowls, hand pans, gong, and other instruments, participants enjoy deep states of relaxation and meditation. Facilitated by BMS’ Music Therapy Department Chair, Katie Down, Sound Baths are sonic meditations incorporating all the senses, based on the premise that we listen with our etheric, emotional and mental body and that through Deep Listening, we can self-heal, connecting with ourselves and each other while creating new neural pathways for optimal, sound health.

First Friday Sound Baths are offered on a sliding scale donation with the suggested donation being $20 or more. Participants can RSVP online and make their donation upon arrival. 

Please feel free to contact Brooklyn Music School with any questions at 718-638-5660 or via email contactus@brooklynmusicschool.org

About Katie Down:

Katie Down (LCAT, MT-BC, MM) is a licensed creative arts therapist, director of Sound Well Creative Arts Therapy, PLLC, and the Head of BMS’s Music Therapy Dept. She has been facilitating sound meditations in NY for over 10 years and teaches sound and music in mindfulness practice throughout the country to clinicians and healing arts practitioners interested in incorporating sound into their clinical work. Learn more about Katie here: http://www.soundwellcenter.com

Coming Up: Lady Sings the Blues

This year the BMS Jazz Department presents "Lady Sings the Blues" inspired by the great Lady Day herself, Billie Holiday. The show will feature guest performer Janis Russell, a talented jazz vocalist, and the director of the Lafayette Inspirational Ensemble, a local gospel choir from Lafayette Avenue Presbyterian Church. 

Our Valentine’s concert will also feature several of our talented vocal students, our jazz ensembles, and our Artist Certificate students.

We hope to see you there!

Highlights - MLK Jr. Tribute 2019

Photo by: Jaznina Santiago

On Saturday, January 19, the Brooklyn Music School (BMS) community came together in the historic BMS playhouse theater to honor and pay tribute to the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. with their 17th annual Martin Luther King Jr. Tribute Concert. As the concert began, Piruz Partow, BMS’s Executive Director, shared a quote from Dr. King on the power of music saying:

“Jazz speaks for life. The Blues tell the story of life’s difficulties, and if you think for a moment, you will realize that they take the hardest realities of life and put them into music, only to come out with some new hope or sense of triumph.”

- Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Photo by: Jaznina Santiago

The concert showcased the great variety of musical programs and students that the school offers, ranging from the BMS Orchestra opening the show to the newest adult ensemble - Motown Mondays - headlining the concert. Students of all level, talent and instrument shown brightly as they paid tribute to the inspiring legacy and words of Dr. King.

BMS’s Adult Orchestra | Photo by Jaznina Santiago

The program included:

1. BMS Adult Orchestra (Deborah Baker, Nathan Atherley, flutes; Ron Draddy, clarinet; Yoshi Nagayama, trumpet; Chelsea Cohen, piano; Mei Yolles, Atensa Prempeh, Denise Jeffers, Elios Urbatsch, violins, Angelys Ocana, Jason Walter, violas; Rumbi Petrozzello, Vanessa Hutchinson, cellos; Jacqueline Coston, double bass)

Michael Vannoni, Director

• Rondeau from Abdelazer Suite, H. Purcell (Additional Orchestrations by M. Vannoni)

• Overture 1812, P. Tchaikovsky (Arranged by M. Story; Additional Orchestrations by M. Vannoni)

2. ARY Rock Band

Alex Rivers, director

• Everyday People, S. Stone

3. Nika Nodjoumi

• I Feel the Earth Move, C. King

The Groove Ensemble | Photo by Jaznina Santiago

4. The Groove Ensemble

Jack Henson, director

• I Feel Good, J. Brown

5. Nana Buadi

Alumni

• Autumn Leaves, J. Kosma

Tuesday Jazz Ensemble | Photo by Jaznina Santiago

6. Tuesday Jazz Ensemble

Jeff Newell, director

• Down By the Riverside,  Traditional

7. 3:30 Saturday Rock Band

Alex Rivers director

• Virtual Insanity, Jamiroquai

8. Blair Greene

Valentina Nazarenko, instructor

• Song Without Words Op. 102, No. 4, F. Mendelssohn

Motown Mondays Ensemble | Photo by Jaznina Santiago

9. Motown Mondays

Jack Henson, director

• Heard it Through the Grapevine, N. Whitfield & B. Strong

• Dancing in the Street, M. Gaye, I. J. Hunter & W. Stevenson

• What’s Going On, M. Gaye, R. Benson & A. Cleveland

Coming Up: Alida & the Hummingbird

“I see your face in every flower, your eyes in stars above”

Based on a Puerto Rican myth “The Legend of the Hummingbird”, the original production produced by the Musical Theater and Performance Program at BMS will celebrate the rich indigenous and Latin cultural heritage of America.

“Alida and the Hummingbird” tells a touching story of true love that inspires caring and compassion for all beings and builds bridges in times of conflict. Vivid images of flowers and colorful birds, and goddesses like Atabey will help the young performers tell the inspirational story. Don't miss this beautiful production with original music and script by Pamela Martinez and Patricia Cardona.

Coming Up: MLK Jr. Tribute

Join us for our annual MLK Jr. Tribute Concert where we honor the legacy and impact of Martin Luther King Jr. through song and storytelling.

Tickets: $5 adv/$8 door

Line - Up

• BMS Adult Orchestra, Michael Vannoni, Director

• ARY Rock Band, Alex Rivers, director

• The Groove Ensemble, Jack Henson, director

• Jazz Ensemble, Jeff Newell, director

• 3:30 Saturday Rock Band, Alex Rivers director

• Backyard Silver Tree, Rafael Rosa, director

• Motown Mondays, Jack Henson, director

Coming Up: BMS @ Ft. Greene Association Meeting

We are excited to share that this coming Monday, January 14 the Brooklyn Music School will be participating in the Fort Greene Association’s panel discussion on the topic of the Arts & Culture in Fort Greene. The panel discussion will be moderated by Beth Allen, the Executive Director of the Downtown Brooklyn Arts Alliance. The panel will include representatives from BRIC, MoCADA, BMS, BAM and Mark Morris. Topics that will be explored in the discussion include:

• The past, present and future of the Fort Greene art scene.

• The vision and the inner-workings of art institutions in our neighborhood.

• Arts, local economy, youth, and the fabric of a community

• Make it anywhere - share the organizations' global footprint and the journey to leadership roles

• Fun for everyone -- community outreach, inclusive initiatives, programming, and ways to get involved.

There will be time at the end for a Q&A with the audience.

2018 BMS Winter Break Hours

Thank you everyone for a wonderful fall term 2018!

There will be no classes from 12/22/18 - 01/01/19.

Classes will resume on Wednesday, January 2, 2019.

The office will be open during the winter break on December 26- 29 during regular business hours.

If you have not enrolled for winter term classes, please do so now.

This Week at BMS (12/17 - 12/21)

This month has been filled with wonderful performances where our students have showcased all they have learned this Fall Term. This week we have a few more events before we wrap up for Winter Holidays.

Tuesday, December 18

Youth Strings Recital

Our strings students will be holding an intimate concert in the MacDowell Recital Room at 6 pm.

Thursday, December 20

ARY Fall Recital

Students from the After School - ARY program will delight their audience with dance and music in the BMS Theater at 6 pm.

Friday, December 21

Brooklyn Opera Works presents “Serenade to Brooklyn” - the 3rd Annual Art Song Recital.

Backyard Silvertree @ BAMBoo! 2018

This year our Rock Band Backyard Silvertree brought down the house at BAMBoo! Here are some excerpts from their performance on October 31, 2018.

“Stand Next to your Fire” by Jimi Hendrix

Video by Rajmani Sinclair

Snippet of Backyard Silvertree performing “Creep” by Radiohead

Video by Rajmani Sinclair

BMS @ NYC Marathon 2018

Photo by: Piruz Partow

Part of the BMS tradition is to perform at the New York Marathon each year. This year’s performer’s really shined and provided ample inspiration to the marathoners! Here’s a peek at what you missed:

Groove Ensemble Performs: BELIEVER BY IMAGINE DRAGONS

Groove Ensemble performs the classic “My Girl”

STREET CLOSURES 10/29 - 10/30

Because of the Apple Product Launch at BAM on 10/30, the following street closures will be in effect:

Starting at 4:00 PM on 10/29: Lafayette Street in front of BAM will be closed.

Starting at 12:01 AM on 10/30 - 3:00 PM on 10/30: St. Felix Street will be closed.

The Brooklyn Music School is still OPEN for classes. You will not be able to drive in front of the school. Please plan your transportation accordingly.

"Schtick or Treat!"

adapted from the article originally published in Bklyner by Chris Farrell on October 4, 2018

FORT GREENE – Christmas has been the inspiration for hundreds of memorable songs and scores of pop hits since “Silent Night” was composed in 1818. Halloween has been left to make do with endless replays of 1962’s “The Monster Mash,” but for the last seven years, the Brooklyn Music School (BMS) has celebrated the spooky October holiday with “thrills, chills and trills,” turning the four brownstones that comprise the facility into a haunted house.

“Each department sponsors a room,” explained BMS executive director Piruz Partow. “It is up to the department to decide what they want to do for the room—whether it’s a performance or an interactive music or dance activity. Some popular rooms/characters from the past include: ‘A Knife at the Opera’ and ‘Glenn Ghoul.'”

BMS has a distinctive campus that provides inspiration for the Halloween observance. The four linked buildings stretch along St. Felix Street next to the Brooklyn Academy of Music, another of the borough’s cultural treasures. Constructed in the 1850s, they were redesigned in the 1920s to provide a theater and classrooms for music instruction.

“The school has a wonderful, charming facility comprised of four brownstones that are over 150 years old, and while it’s a safe and welcoming environment 364 days of the year, it makes decorating very easy for the one day a year that we make it a haunted house,” Partow said.

That spooky potential was first noticed by Assembly Member Walter Mosley, whose District 57 includes the Fort Greene neighborhood that’s home to the school. He mentioned it to Partow as the two were chatting outside BMS one afternoon seven years ago.

“I presented a proposal to hold a small haunted house at the Brooklyn Music School,” Mosley recalled, “and I’ve been proud to watch it grow over the years into what it is today, a thriving community event. The Brooklyn Music School has been dedicated, since its inception, to enriching the community through cultural performances and art, and I expect this year’s haunted house to be just as fun as previous years…. I encourage everyone in Brooklyn and throughout the city to support the arts and support their local community events by coming out,” he said.

The haunted house puts its own spin on Halloween tradition and invites young visitors to enjoy “schtick or treat” in the rooms decorated for the evening. “Based off the concept of ‘trick-or-treat’ students will get to go around to each room and be treated to interactive music or a performance, which is the schtick, and receive candy or a healthy snack,” Partow said.

The event kicks off with a performance in BMS’s Landmark Historical Theater featuring Halloween-inspired tribute bands: “Scary Garcia and the Hateful Dead” and “Radiodead.” Participants are then led on a spooky tour of the school where they will encounter themed classrooms. For younger ones, an instrument petting zoo/graveyard will be offered.

The event raises funds to help support the school’s work throughout the year. “The Brooklyn Music School is a community music school for the 21st century that focuses on making high quality musical instruction approachable and affordable to a wide range of students,” Partow said. “We create frequent opportunities for our students and cultural enrichment for our community. We offer a warm and welcoming space for families and individuals to explore new talents and make lasting friendships. We strive to represent a wide variety of musical traditions from around the world.”

This year’s Musical Haunted House is scheduled for Sunday, October 28 from 3pm to 6pm. Admission is $10 at the door, $8 if purchased in advance.

Note: This Event will Sell Out!

So get your tickets before they disappear!