Fall 2016 Registration

Registration is now open for the fall 2016 semester which begins Wednesday, September 14th. Bloomingdale has some new additions to our course offerings this season which are listed below.

BSM New Ensembles for Fall 2016

Laurie Berkner’s The Music in Me (ages 1-4) Sunday mornings – Children will learn about melodies and rhythm by using their voices, bodies, percussion instruments, and other props to engage their imaginations. They will also develop motor skills through movement and finger play, and they will take home songs that you and your child can enjoy singing and acting out together.

Guitar Orchestra (ages 10-18) Sundays, 4-5pm – Participants of all levels will develop skills playing with other musicians and will perform a variety of musical styles at BSM’s yearly Guitar Festival and throughout each semester. Students should be able to read music and have had prior music lessons. An informal audition is required.

BSM A Cappella Singing Ensemble (ages 13-18) Saturdays, 4-5pm – This ensemble will focus on group vocal renditions of songs from various contemporary genres of music. Students will develop skills such as proper vocal technique, blend, group dynamics, music reading, and the ability to sing in 2-, 3- and 4- part harmony.

BSM Musical Theater Ensemble (Ages 13 -18) Sundays, 5-6pm – Students will be matched with singers of a similar level to perform musical theater scenes and duets. Singers will study character development, musical theater stylistic singing, and the history of musical theater and composers. Basic singing skills required (must be able to match pitch), no musical theater experience necessary, ability to read music encouraged, but not mandatory.

Jazz for Beginners – This new course will offer an introduction to improvisation specifically tailored for students just starting out on their instruments. Designed to create a friendly environment where students can explore both the boundaries of their instruments as well as their imaginations, weekly topics will include group interplay, improvisational games, and introductory music theory. All ages and abilities are welcome, but especially students in their first two years of playing.

Applied Jazz Improvisation (ages 14- adult) Mondays 6:45-8pm – An overview of the fundamentals of jazz improvisation in an interactive combo setting. Musical concepts will be discussed and demonstrated, then applied immediately to common jazz forms and styles. Topics will include chord/scale theory, developing rhythmic time/feel, maintaining form, arpeggios, blues and basic pentatonic usage, dominant chords, and the ii-V-I progression. All instruments welcome.