I am a lifelong New Yorker, a Brooklynite for most of that time, and a Music Partner since 2009. I’ve been composing, performing, collaborating, and teaching longer than that. Beginning with Orff classes at an early age, I have studied piano, electronic music, composition, improvisation, and music education, before taking up the accordion, which has been my main performing instrument and focus of compositional activity.

I have performed and recorded as a member of The Corner Store Dance Company (children’s dance-theater); Washboard Jungle (post-modern jug band music); Le Nozze di Carlo (European-infused jazz); the BAN Radio “”Orchestra”” (instrumental and experimental music). I have collaborated with artists in film, dance, theater and television, and have a long-standing interest in creating site-specific work in non-traditional spaces including the New York and Philadelphia Subway Systems, Green-Wood Cemetery, and Opus 40 Sculpture Park.

Current projects include the Famous Accordions of the Universe, which performs original music as well as arrangements of folk, jazz and classical pieces. My composition “”Dream Sequence””, for chamber orchestra, was recently performed by Numinous.

I am a graduate of Sarah Lawrence College (BA) and Brooklyn College (MA), and have received grants and commissions from Brooklyn Arts Council, Arts Mid-Hudson, the American Orff Schulwerk Association, the Mary Flagler Cary Charitable Trust, Franklin Furnace and the Bachtopus ensemble.

I enjoy teaching early childhood and elementary music. The songs, stories and games we share lay the foundation for musical growth, and more important: they’re fun! Together we develop musical and social skills, and experiencing the joy of creating together. I bring to the classroom a broad range of experience, as a composer, performing musician, and collaborating artist. The Orff-Schulwerk approach, grounded in rhythm, movement and language, forms the basis my teaching framework. I draw on my experiences in folk and popular music, improvisation, composition, and storytelling. The music classroom is a place to create something new together that brings students together, expresses who they are, and gives them skills and memories to grow with.

My musical inspirations include: Beatles, Doors, Pete Seeger, John Cage, Jonathan Richman, Bela Bartok, Miles, Monk, Max, Fela, Stevie Wonder, Pauline Oliveros, Terry Riley, Brian Eno, bird songs, subway trains, and the people around me.

My current project is the Famous Accordions of the Universe, an ensemble of flexible size that performs original compositions, and arrangements of music from folk, jazz and classical traditions. I also perform solo on accordion and piano, and as part of the duo Heaven and Hell, with harper Julia Haines.

Videos of recent work can be seen at: https://vimeo.com/bgoldberg