 The 7th Avenue Hub |
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REGISTER FOR
FALL SEMESTER
Be inspired! Join us for engaging classes for all ages. Register now or speak with a Registrar at 718.622.3300.
EVENTS
Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra - Outdoor Performance
July 17th at 8:00 PM, FREE!
Washington Park by the Old Stone House, 336 3rd Street between 4th and 5th Avenues. Rain location: St. Saviour Church, 611 8th Avenue, corner of 6th Street.
Broadway favorites by Gershwin and Bernstein, as well as concert music from Bizet's "Carmen" and Rossini's "William Tell." Radiant soprano Christine Moore will sing opera arias and jazz standards by Gershwin and Kern. The concert will open with a special appearance by the Sendai Ikuei Gakuen High School Chorus, who will join the orchestra in music by John Rutter and Irving Berlin.
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From the Executive Director, Karen Geer
Welcome to the 7th Avenue Hub - your resource for the latest news in the arts, music, education, and our Brooklyn community. We are now in full swing for our summer semester of programming. The Conservatory is already vibrant with delightfully clamorous noise from our Junior Rock Week program, and there are many new, exciting programs to come. This issue of the 7th Avenue Hub features in-depth information on the highly-anticipated, July 17th outdoor Community Orchestra concert with Special Guest Borough President Marty Markowtiz conducting. You will also find highlights from other great events close to and far from our Park Slope community. |
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Conservatory News
Borough President Marty Markowitz to Conduct Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra
 The Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra will open its July 17th free, outdoor concert under the baton of Special Guest Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz. This exciting one-time event will take place at Park Slope's Washington Park, behind the Old Stone House (left) at 8 PM. Brooklyn Borough President Markowitz, known for his vibrant musical performances, is expected to put on quite a show. The Community Orchestra will be performing selections from the Broadway hits, Bernstein's West Side Story and Gershwin's Porgy and Bess, as well as classical favorites including Rossini's "William Tell Overture" and excerpts from Bizet's Carmen under the direction of the Orchestra's conductor, Dorothy Savitch.
Joining the performance as a guest soprano is the world-traveled, critically acclaimed Christine Moore. With selections of both operatic arias and jazz standards alike, the Brooklyn-based diva will be a welcome addition to the night's roster.
As an extra-special guest ensemble all the way from Japan, the concert will include a performance by the Sendai Ikuei Gakuen High School Chorus (above). Sendai Ikuei Gakuen is one of the biggest private schools in Japan, with a student population of 4,000. Our student performers are part of the Honors Shukoh program, which focuses on language, science and music. As part of their annual 10th grade class trip, the 30 teens will spend the next two weeks performing in high-profile concerts such as our July 17th event, taking English language courses, engaging with host families, interacting with local musicians, and of course, taking in the New York sights (Broadway matinee included).
Through our upcoming concert, the Conservatory is proud to act as a cultural bridge between Japan and the U.S. This program is supported, in part, by public funds from the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs, in partnership with the City Council.
Click here for the full press release.
Making Connections at Brooklyn's 2012 Senior Fair.
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Dean Robbins and Assemblywoman Millman
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Upon speaking with Pete Robbins, Dean of Programs at the Conservatory, many seniors became very inspired and excited at the prospect of fulfilling their long-awaited dreams to finally learn how to play the piano, or pick up that flute or cello locked away in one of their back closets. Others were interested in hearing about our free senior choir programs at the Prospect Hill Seniors Services Center and Park Slope Senior Center, in particular the mini-concert tours the seniors perform throughout Brooklyn. Fair participants were also informed of options for seniors through our Music Therapy Program, which are designed to encourage social engagement, address cognitive and memory degeneration and increase mobility in older adults.
The Conservatory's Senior Outreach Programs are made possible by the MetLife Foundation Creative Aging Program funded by MetLife Foundation and administered by the National Guild for Community Arts Education, as well as the New York State Council on the Arts.
BCM's Teen Jazz Program Brings Down the House
 The Conservatory's Teen Jazz Program took the stage last month at the local Berkeley Carroll School in Park Slope. Arguably one of the "cooler" ensembles here at BCM, the concert featured students as young as ten years old, raging through pieces by John Coltrane, Sonny Rollins and Herbie Hancock.
The concert was in celebration of a program that continues to grow and strengthen exponentially. Led by New York native and established tenor saxophonist, Peter Brainin, the program's student body is double what it was just last year, with six different ensembles and more than 40 students from across the borough.
Featured at the June 17th concert was Bryan Luna, 16-year-old alto saxophonist (above, center), who joined the program two years ago. "I love that you can enter the room and start playing the most random notes and all of the sudden, everyone starts playing with you," Bryan said of his experiences with the program.
Late last year, the Conservatory nominated Bryan for a Peter Jay Sharp Youth Arts Fellowship, which is awarded by the Brooklyn Community Foundation (a pillar of institutional support for the arts in Brooklyn, as well as the Conservatory's scholarship program). The extraordinary fellowship seeks to facilitate arts education and exposure to Brooklyn-based arts organizations for college-bound, talented, motivated teens. "I felt honored, hopeful and joyous when I found out I was chosen," said Bryan. "Winning [the fellowship] was one of the greatest sensations I have ever felt in my life." (Editor's note: Check out The New York Times article featuring Bryan.)
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Community News
Brooklyn Celebrates John Cage
 This September marks the 100th birthday of legendary musical innovator, John Cage. A revolutionary experimentalist in classical music, and a veritable pioneer in avant-garde and electronic music, Cage passed away in August of 1992. Now twenty years later, the groundbreaking, often controversial artist and thinker remains more than relevant.
The Brooklyn music community in particular has done an amazing job in honoring Cage's life and work. Most recently, and still ongoing, is a three-part "Cage Centennial Celebration," hosted by the Brooklyn-based, maritime arts group, Bargemusic. A "Cage Centennial Concert" was also put on by the Brooklyn venue, ISSUE Project Room, in conjunction with music archivists, Darmstadt, in the beginning of June.
The artist himself was no stranger to the borough. As a music student of Arnold Shoenburg in the 1930's, Cage supported himself by washing windows at the Brooklyn YWCA. Fifty years later, he would become resident composer at Brooklyn College's Center For Computer Music in Midwood/Flatbush. As a stronghold for experimentation and progression within the arts community, Brooklyn, NY seems like the kind of place that Cage would want to be.
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Other Spheres
A Month of National Anthems
 Question: What do the United States, the Philippines, Belarus, Argentina, Colombia, France, the Bahamas and Peru have in common? Answer: They each celebrate their own Independence Days during the month of July.
We in the States love to belt out our best, longest "Land of the Free, Home of the Brave," during our fireworks, but what musical traditions do other countries have as they celebrate their freedom?
Hundreds of thousands of Belarusians gathered in the capital city of Minsk for a fireworks display and a performance of "My Belarusy," their national anthem. Originally composed in 1944, the anthem saw 11 years of modification before being adopted by the country in 1955. After the dissolution of the Soviet Union, a new set of lyrics were written to the composition, and were officially adapted in 2002.
The oldest national anthem, called "Wilhelmus van Nassouwe," belongs to the Dutch. While only becoming the official anthem in 1932, the composition dates as far back as the late 16th century. The melody is derived from a French soldier's song from the Protestant siege of Northwest France in 1568.
For a complete list of national anthems, visit http://www.nationalanthems.info/, or just listen to a personal favorite: The Democratic Republic of Tuva's "Men - Tyva Men."
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Pete's Program Pick
Home Recording 101(September-February)
This course covers the following aspects of music technology: basic computer skills, microphones, principles of sound, MIDI, computer-based sequencing and notation, sound mixing, sampling, effects processing and live audio. Students will learn to use music editing software including Garageband and ProTools, and the semester will end in a culminating project.
-Pete Robbins, Dean of Programs
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Music Therapy Corner
Spending Time With My Time, Inc.
On Wednesday, July 11th, a group of vivacious women from
My Time, Inc. came to the Conservatory for a music therapy workshop with our Director of Music Therapy, Toby Williams. Founded in 2007, My Time Inc. provides a quality and effective parent support program and educational training for parents, grandparents and caregivers of children with Autism and Developmental Disabilities. Starting with a guided imagery breathing exercise and moving into voice and movement games, the women got in touch with the physical side of feelings and found new ways to express themselves.Executive My Time, Inc. director and founder, Lucina Clarke, helps parents get in touch with their beauty, strength and inner joy. Once a month, Lucina will bring a group to the Conservatory for a music group grounded in breathing, movement, vocal improvisation and the uplift of talking and singing together. Pictures should be posted soon on www.mytimeinc.org or on their facebook page.
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Music Partner Highlights
Music in Greenpoint at MS 126
 Guitar and percussion students in our program at MS 126 performed last month in front of an enthusiastic audience of fellow students, parents, and school leaders. MS 126 has had a rocky year - it is one of the city's designated "turnaround" schools that may lose teachers, administrators - and its very name - this coming September. Through this program, our percussion students learned traditional Latin and West African rhythms on the djembes, tubanos, skekeres, songba drums and drum set, while our guitar students learned about technique, left-hand positions, chords, picking techniques, progression, notation, blues and song forms. This program, which just finished its second year at MS 126, also provided students with a creative outlet for expression, as well as a reliable and supportive presence in their daily lives. Several of the MS 126 teachers commented on how these programs have really helped the students 'come out of their shells.' This program is supported entirely by the NYC Department of Cultural Affairs' Cultural After-School Adventures (CASA) Program, thanks to Council Member Stephen Levin.
-Dorothy Savitch, Director of Music Partners Division |
BCM Awards
The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music is pleased to announce that it has just been awarded a prestigious Challenge grant from Bloomberg Philanthropies. This is the second year that BCM has received this award as part of an Arts Advancement Initiative by Bloomberg Philanthropies, amounting to an extraordinary $125,000 over two years. The intent of the Arts Advancement Initiative is to support small and mid-sized arts and cultural organizations that are integral to the strength of New York City. The generous award also includes arts management training opportunities offered through the DeVos Institute at the Kennedy Center, headed by the renowned Michael Kaiser. As the award is also a Challenge grant, the Conservatory is required to match the funds by 20% and invest significant time and effort in developing and growing its Board and Advisory Council. The Conservatory has made considerable headway in this arena over the last year, and now will once again appeal to the community to meet this year's Challenge. Contact BCM at 718-622-3300 to find how you can help BCM meet the Bloomberg Philanthropies Challenge.
-Elly Erickson, Director of Institutional Giving |
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Make a Gift to the Conservatory
If you'd like to make a donation to help support BCM's commitment to community arts education, click here, or send a check to the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music at 58 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn, NY 11217. Contributions to BCM, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, are 100% tax deductible.
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Our Supporters
Programs at the Conservatory are supported by the Aaron Copland Fund for Music, The Achelis
Foundation, ACMP-The Chamber Music Network, Amy Bloch/Gregory Horowitz Fund, Ann and Gordon
Getty Foundation, Bacardi USA, Bank of America, Barclays/Nets Community Alliance, Bloomberg
Philanthropies, Brooklyn Community Foundation, Brown Rudnick, CMS, ConEdison, Doris Duke
Charitable Foundation/Chamber Music America, Doris Duke Charitable Foundation/Jazz Audiences
Initiative, Fund for the City of New York/Open Society Foundations' Performing Arts Recovery Initiative,
Hearst Foundations, Hyde and Watson Foundation, Houlihan Lokey, Johnson String Instrument, Joseph
LeRoy and Ann C. Warner Fund, Kennedy Jennik and Murray P.C., Kramer Levin Naftalis & Frankel,
Meyer Creativity Associates, The Milton and Beatrice Wind Foundation, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Global Impact Funding Trust, National Guild for Community Arts Education/MetLife Foundation,
Neighborhood Improvement Association, Newman's Own Foundation, NPower's Community Corps
Program, OppenheimerFunds Legacy Program, Park Slope 5th Avenue BID, Park Slope Civic Council,
Sam Ash Music, RDI Solutions, The Rudin Foundation, Swiss Post Solutions, Taproot Foundation, Terra
CRG, Wells Fargo Bank, and Youth, I.N.C., as well as numerous individual donors. Programs at the
Conservatory are also supported in part, by public funds from the National Endowment for the Arts,
New York State Council on the Arts, The Offices of New York City Council Members Mathieu Eugene,
Vincent Gentile, Brad Lander and Stephen Levin, and the New York City Department of Cultural Affairs in
partnership with the City Council.
Copyright © 2012 Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, All rights reserved.
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