A LISTENER'S GUIDE TO JAZZ

Whether you're just beginning to listen to jazz or have been a jazz-love for years, you'll know that lists of "Top Ten Jazz Albums" abound in magazines, newspapers, and on the internet, but they often leave listeners stuck with the same few albums. Bloomingdale faculty saxophonist and jazz musician David DeJesus offers a fresh perspective, focusing instead on HOW to listen in order to gain an appreciation for the many genres of this quintessentially American music. more>>
 
Features Archive
2007 continued
2006
2005

Feature Focus
Manuel de Falla
Remembering Daniel Pearl (1963–2002)—World Music Days, October 6–15
New York's Mozart Link—Da Ponte: Librettist, Grocer, Columbia Professor
Practicing Tips

   
 
INSTRUMENTS IN DEPTH:
THE OBOE FAMILY


From thematic solos in countless Classical works to soaring melodies in film soundtracks to the character of the duck in Prokofiev's Peter and the Wolf, the sound of the oboe is one of the most recognizable in the orchestra. Explore this challenging instrument in detail with this original Bloomingdale online feature, complete with video demonstrations! more>>


   
 
INSTRUMENTS IN DEPTH:
TABLA: DRUMS OF NORTH INDIA


The sound of the tabla is one of most recognized of any musical instrument in the world, from its use in countless film soundtracks to legendary collaborations between Indian musicians and Western popular artists. This multimedia feature explores the history, use, and playing technique of this versatile set of drums. more>>

   
 
PIANO PROJECT 2008:
PROGRAM AND LIST OF PERFORMERS


Bloomingdale School of Music is pleased to announce the program for Piano Project 2008: Sonidos de Espana/Sounds of Spain. Join us on Saturday, March 15 as 63 students and 12 faculty come together to present a rich variety of Spanish piano music. more>>

   
 
A BEGINNER'S GUIDE TO COMPOSING MUSIC

It’s never too early to start composing your own music! Read this original how-to guide for ideas that will get you started creating your own tunes. more>>

   
 
BLOOMINGDALE
ART PROJECT 2007–2008


From time to time, Bloomingdale invites students to submit drawings that put on paper what music means to them. This year, we had a record 44 submissions, which are below in random order. Thank you to everyone who participated!. more>>

   
 
LEOS JANACEK'S PIANO PIECES:
AN EXPLORATION FOR STUDENTS OF ALL LEVELS


Bloomingdale faculty pianist Jacob Greenberg discusses the unique and inventive piano music of Leos Janacek in this guide for piano students and teachers. more>>

   
 
PIANO PROJECT 2008:
CONVERSATIONS WITH OSKAR ESPINA RUIZ


As the Piano Project 2008 continues, Bathsheba Marcus Conley interviews Spanish clarinetist and Bloomingdale faculty member Oskar Espina Ruiz on growing up in Spain and the importance of classical music, folk music, and specifically the piano in his home country. more>>

   
 
THE MUSIC OF SPAIN: RENAISSANCE THROUGH CLASSICAL

The first in a series of online articles and videos produced in conjunction with the Bloomingdale Piano Project 2008, this feature offers an extensive exploration of Spanish music during the 15th-17th centuries, including bios of many composers whose music will be featured on the Piano Project 2008 concerts. Broader context is provided through a timeline of Spanish history, as well as information on writers and artists of the period. more>>

   
 
MU PHI EPSILON:
AN INTERNATIONAL MUSIC FRATERNITY


If your idea of a fraternity involves wild parties, sloppy off-campus residences, or memorizing the names of your fraternity brothers, your vision might be too narrow. Mu Phi Epsilon is a professional music fraternity with over 75,000 members worldwide, and it is America's oldest coed music fraternity, founded in Cincinnati in 1903. more>>

   
 
CONQUERING STAGE FRIGHT

Your palms are sweaty…there are butterflies in your stomach…your legs are shaking…panic is setting in. What could cause such a physical reaction? Perhaps you are about to go bungee jumping, skydiving, or rock climbing? Maybe, but more likely you are about to perform on an instrument you usually enjoy playing. more>>

   
 
INSTRUMENTS IN DEPTH: THE GUITAR

The guitar comes in many different shapes, sounds, sizes, and styles, and can be heard in concert halls, rock arenas, and street corners. As popular as the instrument is now, however, its history and evolution are quite mysterious. more>>

   
 
BLOOMINGDALE PIANO PROJECT 2008:
SONIDOS DE ESPAÑA/SOUNDS OF SPAIN


Granados and Albéniz. These are the composers most frequently associated with classical piano music from Spain. Spain, however, has an immense history of music written for the keyboard, stretching from the Golden Age of the Renaissance to the modern day. more>>

   
 
MSTISLAV ROSTROPOVICH

When Mstislav Rostropovich passed away on April 27, 2007 at the age of 80, the world lost one of the greatest cellists to have ever lived. Known to most by his nickname, "Slava" (which is Russian for "Glory"), cellists and all other musicians can be thankful for his long-lasting and memorable career, which also included significant achievements as a conductor, pianist, and teacher. more>>

   
 
NEW FACULTY AT BLOOMINGDALE

As the 2007-08 school year begins, we are happy to welcome the following nine new faculty members. Click on their names to view a photo and a detailed biography describing their backgrounds, training, interests, and approaches to teaching. more>>

   
 
CONCERTS 2007–2008

Bloomingdale School of Music has been presenting concerts in New York for over 35 years. As the 2007–08 season begins, we invite you to explore our program of 41 unique and engaging concerts. Beginning in October and extending through June, this season will run the gamut from classical chamber music to virtuosic solo performances, from music of the Baroque to jazz and other new compositions. more>>

   
 
SUMMER CONCERTS AROUND THE CITY—AUGUST 2007

August is a month of rest and relaxation, a break from school and, for some, even from music lessons. It's a time for visiting family, for physical recreation, perhaps for traveling and opening our minds to new things before the return to school that is just around the corner. Right here in New York City, however, we are privileged to have a rich array of new and enriching experiences just around the corner in the form of free concerts, and the summer downtime is an ideal chance to take advantage of them! more>>

   
 
MAP GRADUATION

We all have memories we associate with graduations—endless speeches, long lists of awards, graduates' names somberly intoned. Pomp and Circumstances. They simply do not apply to the annual graduation program of BSM's Music Access Project. more>>

   
 
PERFORMATHON 2007 PHOTO GALLERY

Bloomingdale's seventh annual Performathon began at 8:30 a.m. on Saturday, May 19, 2007 with an eager first performer, John Hardee, on cello. more>>

   
 
LIPATTI

The testimonials about Romanian pianist and composer Dinu Lipatti are almost innumerable. His playing was "perfection" to Alfred Cortot, and to Herbert von Karajan, "no longer the sound of the piano, but music in its purest form." more>>


   
 
SCARLATTI: 250 YEARS LATER

Domenico Scarlatti was in his formative years when he gained legal emancipation from his controlling father at age 32. Then working for the Portugese ambassador at the Vatican, he resigned in 1719 and eventually settled in Lisbon where he served as maestro to King John V, teaching piano and directing several musicians in sacred and secular functions. more>>
   

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