Class Program: Community Music School
Music Theory (Ages 8-18)
Description Leveled by age, this class helps students develop their musical knowledge in a fun, low-pressure group setting. Students learn chords, scales, harmony and melody and musical elements such as key signatures, time signatures and music vocabulary through ear training, rhythmic dictation and fun exercises. We recommend that students have at least one year of…
Jazz Travelers (Grades 6-10)
Creativity. Teamwork. Personal voice. These are the three core values of BKCM Jazz Travelers, a premier jazz program for students in Grades 6 to 10. Students are introduced to the rich cultural history and musical practices of jazz music in a joyful and rigorous learning environment, anchored by a faculty of singularly gifted jazz musicians…
Flute Ensemble
Description Flute ensemble will improve students’ sight reading, sound production and intonation. Students work on intermediate flute repertoire and are encouraged to practice their ensemble repertoire outside of class. With each student playing their own part, flute players strengthen their technique as well as their confidence. When flutes perform together and blend their sound, everyone…
Community Klezmer Band
Description Musicians who play strings, winds, brass, percussion and accordion explore a century’s worth of Klezmer, examining how the music grew and changed with the migration of Jews from Eastern Europe to North America. Students learn how to recognize, perform and ornament the klezmer modes and discover a set of klezmer repertoire. No previous background…
Brooklyn Harmonics Twenty+
Description: Brooklyn Harmonics Twenty+ sing arrangements of pop tunes and originals, written and arranged specifically for the ensemble. Twenty+ perform throughout the year, often with Brooklyn Harmonics Teens and Tweens, connecting across generations in performance. Audition Requirements To sign up for an audition please contact the Brooklyn Harmonics Co-Directors at harmonics@bkcm.org. Prepare a short pop…
Brooklyn Harmonics Teens
Description: Brooklyn Harmonics Teens sing dynamic, close-harmony arrangements of pop, rock, jazz and world music, as well as original tunes. They are a top-tier group that performs at BKCM and throughout the community, singing on mic and accompanied by a band. There are opportunities to sing solos and be featured in smaller groups. Brooklyn Harmonics…
Brooklyn Harmonics Tweens
Description: Co-Directors Jeff Klitz and Christine Cornell lead Brooklyn Harmonics Tweens. A preparatory group for Brooklyn Harmonics Teens, Brooklyn Harmonics Tweens perform customized arrangements of popular songs and originals and refine their ability to sing in unison and develop harmonizing skills. An audition is necessary to join this group. Audition Requirements To sign up for an…
Brass Ensemble
Description Brass ensemble is for students who play trombone, trumpet, french horn or tuba and have experience reading and performing. Playing in an ensemble is essential for all brass students as it develops students’ breath support, tone production and intonation. Blending your sound with other brass musicians supports all aspects of proper brass technique. Students…
BKCM Blues Band
Description Learn to play a variety of popular blues forms, scales, lyrics and performance styles connected to the blues. The repertoire follows the blues from the Fife and Drum era through Delta, Hill Country, and New Orleans to the eventual migration to places such as St Louis, Chicago and Texas. Explore the rhythms, harmony and…
Bluegrass Lab
Description Vocalists, string, guitar and mandolin players are invited to experience the historic American music of bluegrass. Taught by expert bluegrass musicians in a fun jam-style approach, students experience the joys of leading, improvising and accompanying traditional folk songs and old-time music. Students who join the Bluegrass Lab will also be invited to participate in…