REHEARSAL SCHEDULE

Rehearsals begin
September 21st, 2023
Jazz Ensembles:Thursdays
Junior Jazz: 4:30pm-5:30pm
Senior Jazz: 5:45pm-7:00pm

REHEARSAL LOCATION

Old First Reformed Church
729 Carroll Street (corner of 7th Avenue)
Park Slope, Brooklyn

TUITION INFORMATION

Program Fees
$1,290 Single student
$1,990 Sibling Rate: Two students ($995 per)
$1,890 Dual Rate: Single student in two ensembles

To submit an application and pay tuition
Go to REGISTRATION & FEES

IMPORTANT INFORMATION

Enrollment in our after-school Jazz or Orchestra program means a year-long commitment from September/October to June, 32 – 34 weeks in all, with 2 - 3 concerts. In addition to pre-scheduled auditions, we do accept applications on a rolling basis throughout the year when there are available seats. Our Summer Camp, which takes place for 2 weeks in July, is a separate registration process, with no audition.

We strive for professionalism in our rehearsal and performance process.

We are committed to keeping our tuition affordable to ensure that our programs remain accessible. We also offer some financial aid.

Browse our website. Contact us at 800-399-0489 or at info@bymp.org for more information on our programs, performances and policies.

OUR JAZZ ENSEMBLES

The Jazz program is open to students who play saxophone, trombone, trumpet; clarinet and other woodwinds; upright bass, electric bass, guitar and other strings; piano or drums. Musicians work under the direction of two-time Juno-nominated drummer and composer Owen Howard. Please check the Auditions section of our website for application information and audition dates/times.

PERFORMANCES

We perform a minimum of three live concerts per season where every member has a chance to shine as they solo. Additionally, our jazz ensembles have had the opportunity to produce a CD in a professional recording studio.

IMPROVISATION

A defining quality of jazz is the fine line between the written and the ”unwritten“ material. Once the notes on the page have been mastered, the focus is on improvisation. Students learn to recognize song forms, understand chord changes, construct a solo and interact with the rhythm section. With training, our young musicians develop and hone their ability to indulge their inspiration within a universally-understood, flexible jazz structure.

PROFESSIONAL MUSICIANS AS GUEST CLINICIANS

We are lucky to live in a city rich with working, innovative composers and talented musicians. Our jazz students benefit from regular sessions with visiting Brooklyn-based artists. Guest clinicians bring their own personal approaches to improvisation and help students to fine tune their technique as instrumentalists, their musicianship as improvisational artists and, through the ensemble, their skills in collaborative work. Our young musicians benefit greatly from seeing and hearing experienced professionals play and improvise the very same material they are working on in class.

FROM THE JAZZ DIRECTOR

The development of jazz over time has encompassed an incredible range of creative perspective, style and approach. Students in the Jazz Ensembles will explore the gamut from traditional Big Band sounds to the contemporary jazz composed today.

Our borough is a thriving center for world-class jazz performance, artists and educators, and we take advantage of this access to new music being created by living composers from our own backyard. Improvisation, an integral part of the jazz tradition, will be a focus of our work and development. Our young musicians will learn how to prepare an improvisational solo, support their peers through ensemble playing and gain confidence in performance. We’ll regularly bring in Brooklyn–based jazz musicians to help us fully explore this technique.