Spring Benefit 2021
THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AT BKCM’S FREE SPRING BENEFIT MUSIC FESTIVAL ON MAY 15, 2021!
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The streets of Park Slope were alive with music as more than 150 musicians played across 20 stages. Everything from hip hop to opera, sea shanties to Latin Jazz, bluegrass, ‘80s covers and more could be heard throughout the neighborhood, creating a joyful and reinvigorating moment for a city turning the corner on the pandemic.
In addition to more than 1,000 BKCM families, friends and festivalgoers, other guests seen moving to the music included Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer, Senator Zellnor Myrie, District 39 Council Member Brad Lander, and District 52 State Assemblymember Jo Anne Simon.
ALL 150 PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS, MANY OF WHOM WERE PLAYING TOGETHER LIVE AND IN PERSON FOR THE FIRST TIME SINCE THE OUTBREAK OF THE PANDEMIC, WERE PAID FOR THEIR PERFORMANCES.
While there was no official evening ending performance, the hundreds of people dancing ecstatically on 5th Avenue to Yesterday’s News (‘80s Rock Band) cover of “Walking On Sunshine” captured the outpouring of energy, good vibes, and joy that was palpable at every location and every performance.
Your ticket purchases, sponsorships, and donations helped to support the day’s musicians, and enable BKCM’s music education and music therapy programs for thousands of youth and adults across all five boroughs of New York City.
WE STILL NEED YOUR HELP. Make a donation today to help BKCM reach its fundraising goals. A donation of any size matters. Thank you.
Stage and Performer List
1. BKCM Brass Stoop
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music
58 7th Ave
4:00 – 4:30pm Faculty Brass Band
4:30 – 4:45pm PS 29 Music Partners Students
4:45 – 5:30pm Faculty Brass Band
5:30 – 6:00pm Community Music School Big Bad Brass Band
6:00 – 7:00pm Brass Band Community Jam-along
Brian Drye: briandrye.com
Steve Swell: steveswell.com
Josh Sinton: joshsinton.com
Hugh Ash
2. Bluegrass Jam
Corner of 8th Ave and Berkeley St
3pm – 4pm Sound Check – performers and site staff arrive
4pm – 5:30pm Mike Clifford’s Bluegrass band
5:30pm – 6pm BKCM’s Student Bluegrass Group
6pm – 7pm Stoop Sesh with Melody Allegra Berger, Dave Esperanza and Ross Martin
Melody Allegra Berger: melodyfiddler.wixsite.com/melodyallegra
Ellery Marshall: ellerymarshall.com
Ross Martin: rossmartinguitar.com
3. Jazz Trios
Union St between 6th Ave and 7 Ave
4pm – 5:30pm Agustin Grasso, Saul Rubin, Yoshi Wak
5:30 – 7pm Dan Loomis – bass, Ronen Itzik – drums, Noa Fort – voice & keyboard
Noa Fort: noafort.com
Dan Loomis: danloomismusic.com
Ronen Itzik: ronenitzik.com
Agustin Grasso: agustingrassomusic.com
Saul Rubin: saulrubin.com
4. Treble Without A Cause Teen Stage
Milk Bar – 204 6th Ave
4pm – 4:20pm Michelle Horner’s – Teen classical Suzuki guitar septet.
4:40 – 5:05pm Awkward Silence
5:20 – 5:45 Undecided
6:00 – 6:25 Verona
6:30pm – 7pm Teen Harmonic performers singing solos and duets
Michele Horner: michelehorner.net
Shiloh Gonsky
5. Selections from the Music Room
Spoke the Hub – 748 Union St
4:20pm – 4:40pm
5:05pm – 5:20pm
5:45pm – 6pm
‘The Music Room’ Student solo performers
6. Dime Community Bank - Klezmer Stage
Dime Community Bank – 208 5th Ave
4 – 5pm: Zoë Aqua and the Klezmer All-Star Band
5 – 6pm: BKCM’s Community Klezmer Band
6 – 7pm: Klezmer Jam-along plus Pete Rushevsky
Zoe Aqua: zoeaqua.com
Ira Temple: iratemple.com
Michael Winograd: michaelwinograd.net
David Licht
Pete Rushefsky
7. Student Stars
President St between 8th Ave and Prospect Park W
4:15pm-4:45pm: Junko Piano Suzuki Students
Kona Sullivan : Theme from Symphony No. 3 “Eroica” by L. v. Beethoven (2 min)
Zoe Del Giudice : Sonatina in C Major, M.Clementi Op.36, No. (5 min)
Lucie van Kwawegen : Teasing Song by B. Bartok ( 2 min)
Élise van Kwawegen : Minuet 1, from 8 Minuets by W. A. Mozart (3 min)
Olivia Okin : Bagatelle by A. Tcherepnin ( 2 min)
5pm-5:30pm: Amoako – Music Therapy client performer with Hannah Hershman
“the Acoustic Stylings of Amoako Buachie”
5:45pm-6:15pm: Sara H, Mary Jo (Lynn), Noa, Roger
6:30pm-7pm: Michele Temple Students
8. Chamber Bash
Old First Reformed Church
Corner of 7th Ave and Carroll St
4pm – 5pm: Brooklyn Revival (Violin Duo)
5pm – 6pm: Two Flutes and a Toot
6pm – 7pm: Harpist Lucia Stavros
Mitzy Nonaka: mitzynonaka.com
9. Aria Area
Carroll St between 6th Ave and 7th Ave
4pm – 5:30pm: Two solo Opera performers singing a mix of modern and classics
James M. Brown 4pm-4:45pm
Samantha Nahra 4:45pm-5:30pm
Brendan Polk – accompanist
5:30pm – 7pm: The Opera Next Door performing a preview of their new performance of Cosi Fan Tutte
10. 80’s Jams - Slope Style
The Commissioner / High Dive between 243 & 247 5th Ave
5:30-7: Yesterday’s News – 80s Rock Band
J. Hoard
Simon Fishburn: simonfishburn.comSamantha Bunting
Benn Joffman
Tristan McCoppin
Konrad Payne
11. Deep Blue Sea (Shanties)
Garfield Pl between 5th Ave and 6th Ave
4pm – 4:45pm : TURNPIKE
5pm – 5:45pm : The Johnson Girls
6pm-7pm : The Mercantillers
12. Main Stage
PS 321 School Lot, 2nd St between 6th Ave and 7th Ave
4pm-5pm: Arturo O’Farrill & the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra
5:15pm-6pm: Brooklyn Conservatory Community Orchestra
6pm-6:15pm: PS 321 Music Partners Band
Student’s Performance
6:15pm-7pm: Khuent Rose’s Steel Pan Band
Iman Pascall
KJ Marcelle
Domo J.O.A.T.: domojoat.com
Jahlani Roberts
Khuent Rose
Arturo O’Farrill: arturoofarrill.com
Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra: afrolatinjazz.org
13. Dynamic Duos
Corner of 8th Ave and 2nd St
4pm – 5pm: Jenny Hill and Frannie Brodeur – Flute duo
5pm – 6pm: Mara Mayer and Charlotte Greve – Clarinet duo
6pm – 7pm: Luis Casal and Jennifer Axelson – Violin Tango duo
Luis Enrique Casal: luiscasal.com
14. Sondheim & Friends Singalong
2nd St between 8th Ave and Prospect Park W
4pm-4:30pm: Open with Rick Hip-Flores
4:30pm-6pm: Christine Cornell
6pm-7pm: Heather Curran
15. Tots! Tunes! Pantaloons!
3rd St between 6th Ave and 7th Ave
4pm – 4:30pm: Early Childhood Music Class with Laura Brenneman
4:45pm – 5:15pm: Violin Friends with Johnna Wu
5:15pm – 5:45pm: Guitar Friends with Ben Lee
6pm-6:30pm: Top 40 Tots Disco Dance Party with Mary Jo McBride
6:30pm – 7pm: African Drumming with Amos Gambia
16. Byrne It Up! Swing & Rumba Dance Stage
Old Stone House
(at JJ Byrne Playground) – 336 3rd St
4pm-4:15pm: Brooklyn Conservatory Chorale
4:20pm – 5:30pm: The C.J. Heptet Trio, Along with a Dancewave instructor teaching Swing Dance
5:40pm – 7pm: La Rumba de La Musa
17. Perfect Pitch Puppets
Puppet Works – 338 6th Ave
Puppet Performances by PuppetWorks along with BKCM Musicians
4pm – 5:30pm: Michel Gentile & David Bertrand (flute duo)
5:30pm – 7pm: Yoon Sun Choi & Jacob Sacks play Joe Raposo
David Bertrand: davidbertrandmusic.com
Yoon Sun Choi: yoonsunchoi.com
Jacob Sacks: jacobsacks.com
18. Beatboxing, Rhymes and Life
6th St – between 5th Ave and 6th Ave
4-5pm: Mikal Amin, Lex Rush & Isaac Sawyer
5pm-6pm: Lex Rush, Mikal Amin & Isaac Sawyer
6pm-7pm: Where the Love is (Mikal Amin/Dale Novella)
19. Drumming Around the World
8th St between 5th Ave and 6th Ave
4pm-5:30pm: Sameer & Dan Weiss – Indian Tabla duo
5:30pm-7pm: Borogusakagu – Sameer, Kaoru Waranabe, Rogerio Boccato Trio – Indian, Brazilian, and Japanese drumming.
Sameer Gupta: sameergupta.com
Dan Weiss: danweiss.net
Koaru Watanabe: watanabekaoru.com
Rogerio Boccato: rogerioboccato.com
20. Investors Bank Stage: Velvet Vocals
Investors Bank – 314 7th Ave
4pm-5:30pm: Alicia Rau Trio – Guitar, Bass, Trumpet & Voice
5:30pm-7pm: Annie Chen Trio – Guitar, Bass, & Voice
Alicia Rau: aliciarau.com
David O’Rourke: davidorourke.com
Marcus McLaurine: marcusmclaurine.com
Annie Chen: anniechenjazz.com
F.A.Q.
What are your COVID Policies?
BKCM has planned this event with a comprehensive set of policies and guidelines related to public gathering and performance during COVID, including:
* Requiring all festival related events to be outside
* Requiring all event performers, staff and volunteers to either be vaccinated or have a recent negative Covid PCR test
* Spreading out our performance venues over dozens of blocks to prevent crowding and congestion
* Encouraging festival goers to mask up and to circulate from stage to stage
* Having our musicians play short sets with frequent breaks to promote circulation
* Training all our event staff and volunteers on COVID-related protocols
To ensure the safety of all participants, we request the following:
1. Please stay masked at all times.
2. Please maintain a safe distance between yourself and others
3. Please adhere to space guidelines set by BKCM staff and Stoop Hosts at venues.
BKCM reserves the right to stop any performance and disperse a gathering if deemed unsafe.
If you or any member of your family are showing signs of illness, we ask that you please join us next time!
Will there be bathrooms available?
Yes! Bathrooms for this event are located at BKCM, PS 321, and J.J. Byrne. Bathrooms are also marked on our Spring Benefit map.
Can I make a donation to BKCM via check?
Yes, checks can be made out to Brooklyn Conservatory of Music.
If I’m an advanced ticket holder, where can I find food and drink stops?
All food and drink locations are marked on our Spring Benefit map.
Can I donate directly to the artists?
We have a full list of our artists up on our website if you would like to reach out to support them directly. Please be aware that all artists at today’s event are being compensated for their work, and by donating to BKCM, you are directly supporting BKCM’s mission to provide opportunities such as these to local artists.
What does my donation or ticket sale support?
Your support allows us to continue reaching people who would not otherwise have access to music education and music therapy during the pandemic. All of the artists performing today have been paid by BKCM, so every dollar goes toward supporting music education and music therapy for kids and adults all over New York City.
Can I get a tax acknowledgment for my donation?
Yes, if you donate online we will send you a tax acknowledgement. If you want to donate with cash, give us your information and we will make sure to get you one.
Where is BKCM located?
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music is located 58 7th Avenue and Lincoln Place. It is on the northside of Park Slope near the 7th Avenue B/Q station. You can find our event space through the garden entrance on Lincoln Place.
Who is producing the Spring Benefit?
This is a self-produced event by the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music.
Who can I talk to about taking classes at BKCM?
We have a faculty member right onsite and three information tables at our three main sites BKCM, PS 321, and J.J. Byrne.
