About Our Ensembles
BKCM’s Brass, Woodwind and Flute Ensembles are designed for saxophone, clarinet, flute, oboe, bassoon, trumpet, trombone, tuba, euphonium or french horn players who are currently taking private lessons or participating in their school band program. Playing in an ensemble is a rewarding experience and essential for young players to learn how to play in-tune, blend with others and support their sound within a section.
Each ensemble is coached by a brass, woodwind or flute specialist who tailors and arranges repertoire that will challenge students at their current level and advance their playing and performing skills. Students learn a range of genres including classical, pop, world and jazz selections and perform throughout the year at recitals, community events and informal parent observations. Students are encouraged to practice their ensemble repertoire outside of class.
Brass Ensemble
Saturdays, 3:00-4:00 PM
16 Weeks
Woodwind Ensemble
Saturdays, 3:00-4:00 PM
16 Weeks
Flute Ensemble
Saturdays, 3:00-4:00 PM
16 Weeks
How to Apply
Returning students:
Students who have previously enrolled in BKCM private lessons or ensembles may receive a nomination from their teacher or the administration to bypass the audition. Students who have previously enrolled in a BKCM Brass, Woodwind or Flute Ensemble are not required to audition.
For more information, please contact cmsadmin@bkcm.org.
First-time Brass, Woodwind, or Flute Ensemble Applicants:
- Record a short audition video on a smart phone (or similar device). Include two major scales that you know well at a steady tempo and a song that you can play well, no longer than one minute. It can be something from your band repertoire or a solo piece that demonstrates your skill.
- Upload the video via the following Application Form to complete your application.
FACULTY
Pablo Masis – Brass Ensemble Coach
Originally from Cleveland, Ohio, Pablo grew up in northern Arizona on the Navajo Indian Reservation and in Billings, Montana. He studied classical trumpet at Lawrence University with Robert Levy, receiving a Bachelor of Music degree. Following a year of Graduate study in classical trumpet with Dennis Najoom at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he moved to New Orleans, where he studied with Terence Blanchard, Clyde Kerr Jr. and Ed Petersen, and received a Masters Degree in Jazz Studies from the University of New Orleans.
Pablo has performed with a variety of New York-based ensembles including Kyle Saulnier’s Awakening Orchestra, Bobby Sanabria’s Multiverse Big Band, the David White Jazz Orchestra, the Dan Pugach Big Band, and the NYC Brass Choir. In 2012 Pablo released his second recording with a quintet of musicians from New York, titled “Intrinsic,” featuring Chad Lefkowitz-Brown on tenor sax, Alex Brown on piano, Linda Oh on bass, and Jared Schonig on drums.
Pablo has appeared across the United States and Europe including New York, Seattle, Portland, Oklahoma City, New Orleans, Kansas City, Washington DC, Belgium, The Netherlands, and Poland. Pablo has presented concerts and masterclasses at Rocky Mountain College, South Dakota State University, Augustana University, and Southwestern Oklahoma State University.
In February 2015, Pablo traveled to Kabul, Afghanistan where he was a guest artist with the Afghanistan National Institute of Music for their Winter Academy.
Mayu Saeki – Flute Ensemble Coach
Mayu Saeki is a globally active New York-based flutist, pianist, composer, recording artist, and educator. She earned her Master of Music from Elizabeth University of Music in 1998, studying flute with Sanae Nakayama, and additionally studied with renowned flutists Pierre-Yves Artaud, Alain Marion, and Andrea Lieberknecht through masterclasses. A finalist in the Japan Classic Music Competition in 1999, she pursued an active performing career in Tokyo, Japan, before relocating to the USA.
From 2009–2013, she toured and performed with NEA Jazz Master Chico Hamilton, appearing on his three albums. She has performed and recorded extensively around the world as a sideman with artists including Latin Grammy-winning Arturo O’Farrill & his Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra and Four Celtic Voices, as well as renowned musicians Mark Egan, Betty Susman, Mino Cinélu, Lewis Nash, and others. In 2018, she released her album HOPE (Brooklyn Jazz Underground Records), featuring Aaron Goldberg on piano, and toured the U.S., including Jazz at the Kitano (New York City) and The Nash (Phoenix, AZ). HOPE and her work were featured on the DownBeat Magazine Artist Page, and she was nominated for DownBeat Magazine’s “Rising Star Flute” Critics Poll from 2019–2022. She is a Recording Academy Voting Member and a Trevor James Flutes Endorsement Artist.
Musical theater credits include Miss Saigon, The Secret Garden, Finding Neverland, and Off-Broadway’s Yiddish Fiddler on the Roof as Reed 1/World Flute Specialist. She has performed with many orchestras, including at Carnegie Hall and Merkin Hall, and as a pianist has accompanied Broadway actors including Benjamin Jeffrey (The Lion King) and Ariel Jacobs (Aladdin). She also serves as a pipe organist and Music Director at Emanuel United Church of Christ Woodhaven.
In addition to BKCM, her current teaching appointments include Jazz House Kids and United Nations International School. She has presented masterclasses and lectures at major universities, including Cincinnati Conservatory of Music and Texas A&M University, as well as the Texas Flute Symposium.
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