North Adams — The non-profit Berkshires’ Academy for Advanced Musical Studies (BAAMS) is holding fundraising events on August 14 and 16 to support its music education programs, which include summer jazz camps and similar opportunities throughout the school year at their Furnace Street location. BAAMS faculty members and guests will give performances at Studio9 (Porches Inn) on August 14 and at Mingo’s Sports Bar and Grill on August 16.
During the school year, BAAMS faculty travel from New York City, New Jersey, Long Island, Colorado, and Boston to teach master classes in North Adams. But they are all in town for the summer jazz camp, so BAAMS takes advantage of this by presenting all-star performances at local venues for the purpose of inspiring prospective students and their parents.
Here are the venue details:
Monday, August 14, 7 p.m.
Studio9 at the Porches Inn
River St., North Adams
Jazz Duo Charles Blenzig and Richard Boulger with special guests Tony Lewis and Alex Blake
Admission is $20 at the door.
Wednesday, August 16, 6:30-8:40 p.m.
Mingo’s Sports Bar and Grill
Roberts Drive, North Adams
BAAMS Faculty Performance:
- Ada Rovatti, saxophone
- Tony Lewis, drums
- Charles Blenzig, keys
- Alex Blake, bass
- William “Spaceman” Patterson, guitar
- Richard Boulger, trumpet
Admission is free.
When you hear someone talk about bringing “musicians and music educators from around the country and world” to the Berkshires to teach young students during the summer, you might think of the Tanglewood Music Center in Lenox or the High Peaks Festival in Sheffield.
But, starting in 2018, North Adams joined the ranks of towns in Berkshire County that host world-class music instruction for young people during the summer, taught by highly distinguished professional musicians who have taught at such elite institutions as Berklee College of Music, the Juilliard School, and the Hartt School of Music and boast lengthy resumes chronicling their work with some of pop music’s brightest luminaries.
There are big differences, though, between BAAMS and similar programs. First, the program is open to students of all skill levels aged 12 through 18. Second, the curriculum encompasses instrumental instruction (brass, woodwinds, saxophone, keyboards, drums, guitar, bass) as well as music theory, composition, and improvisation. And third, BAAMS tuition is affordable, with a limited number of scholarships available.
BAAMS’ mission is to “empower area youth and young adults with a means to not only express themselves musically and artistically, honing their talents, but also to interact and collaborate with other musicians and artists, encouraging mentoring and collaborative relationships.” BAAMS faculty worked throughout the pandemic to offer all of their instruction online.
BAAMS is the brainchild of founder, Executive Director, and Artistic Director Richard Boulger, who is not only a North Adams native but also a longtime New York City musical artist and educator. He has played trumpet and flugelhorn with a long list of musical giants like Freddie Hubbard and Donald Byrd and studied composition with Ludmila Uhlela, the former chair of Contemporary Music at the Manhattan School of Music.
For more information, call (413) 663-4424 or email info@berkshiresacademyams.org.
