BSM's 2012-13 Concert Season Begins: 10/12/2012

Bloomingdale is presenting 30 faculty concerts, free of charge, for our community. The school has a long-standing tradition of providing high-quality concerts with intriguing programming—our faculty members are not only dedicated teachers, but also creative performing musicians who inspire us with their work.

Faculty members apply for the concert series with a proposal—the process offers the performers complete artistic freedom. As a result, concerts on this year's season include topics ranging from guitar dance music from Puerto Rico to jazz music from the blue note era.

Pianist Roberto Hidalgo kicked off the season with his concert on October 12 featuring piano music from Mexico and the United States. The program included folk-inspired music by composers such as Leonard Bernstein, Aaron Copland, Leo Smit, and Manuel M. Ponce.

All concerts are free of charge. The full concert calendar can be viewed here.

Roberto Hidalgo in performance

10/12/2012 Concert Poster

Jazz at Lincoln Center/BSM Partnership Kickoff Concert: 9/28/12

This September, Bloomingdale began a partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center's (JALC) Middle School Jazz Academy (MSJA). The partnership links the missions of the two organizations, both of which emphasize a commitment to providing access to quality music education to all who seek it. Bloomingdale is offering space for lessons and activities for MSJA, and MSJA is offering selected BSM students the opportunity to join the Academy and take advantage of all the wonderful resources the program offers. 

This partnership supports Bloomingdale's interest in bringing jazz at BSM to a greater focus—we have a dedicated jazz faculty whose work we hope to encourage with programs such as these. The kickoff concert which was held at Christ and St. Stephen's Church on September 28th, featured members of the MSJA Faculty, BSM Faculty, Alumni of MSJA, and a special guest artist, Sherman Irby, saxophonist with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra. 

MSJA faculty members rehearse before the concert

MSJA alumni perform at the event

JALC Orchestra saxophonist Sherman Irby 

MAP Orientation: 9/18/12

The Music Access Project, MAP, is now in its 21st year at Bloomingdale. The program is symbiotic with the school's mission to provide quality music education to all who seek it. Each year, 20+ students receive tuition scholarships to a comprehensive pre-college music training program which includes a 60 minute private lesson, weekly orchestra rehearsal, weekly coached chamber music rehearsal, music theory, and bi-weekly workshops. This year MAP includes 20 students and 3 new students were welcomed into the program. Below is an image from this year's MAP orientation led by Brandon Vazquez, who is not only the Director of MAP, but BSM's trumpet teacher and an alum of the program. All 20 students were in attendance.

MAP Director Brandon Vazquez speaks to students and parents at this year's orientation.

First Day of Lessons and Classes: 9/19/12

As always, the start of the school year has been a whirlwind of activity. This year has been special on many levels—Bloomingdale has several new partnerships launching including Jazz at Lincoln Center's Middle School Jazz Academy and Exploring the Metropolis' Composers-in-Residence program. Both are already successfully underway.  We've also had a baby boom of sorts at the school with seven staff or faculty members welcoming new children in the past two months. That seems fitting as each September is a rebirth of sorts with new students and faculty mixing with those who have been part of our community for years.

Below are some images from our first day of the semester, September 19. Whether it's a student's first lesson ever or the start of a high school senior's last year at BSM, each "first lesson" is filled with the promise and excitement of the unknown chapters of the year ahead.

Guitar faculty member Gabriel Handy shares an entertaining moment with his student.

Katie Scheele looks on as her student tackles a new piece. This student has been at BSM since he was in 6th grade and is currently a senior in high school.

Chen Chu conducts the first rehearsal with the Intermediate Orchestra, one of three orchestral ensembles at BSM.

Students in Keyboard for Children explore the instrument together at their first class.