Granite State Stuff : Concord Community Music School

Public Invited to Jazz Workshops

AskLisa — Sun, 01 Nov 2009 21:50:00 GMT

The Concord Community Music School’s Jazz Department invites the public to take part in its annual workshop series on jazz technique and performance, November 16 -18. All sessions are free, open to the public, and designed to reach all ages and levels. Workshops take place at the Concord Community Music School at 23 Wall Street in downtown Concord.

The workshops cover Jazz Vocals, Percussion, and Acoustic Guitar, and include a three-day Beatles Orchestra experience, open to all instrumentalists – no matter your instrument or genre. This year, the Beatles Orchestra will focus on recreating and adding to the Beatles hit “I Want You” and concludes on day three with a recording session. Other workshops include a Rhythm Slam and Build a Band. All sessions are led by jazz department faculty. The Jazz Vocal Workshop is led by Peggo Horstmann Hodes of the Music School’s voice faculty with Tom Robinson, on piano.

Workshop Weeks, free and open to the public, are held throughout the year by the Music School’s faculty. Piano Department Workshops take place the week of December 7^th. Woodwind Department Workshops are scheduled for the week of January 18, 2010 and the String Department will hold its workshop series the week of April 19, 2010. Call the Music School for more information, 603-228-1196, or visit the website http://www.ccmusicschool.org.

Scholarship Vocal Ensemble to Perform in 50th Annual Festival of Barbershop Harmony at Concord City Auditorium

AskLisa — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 21:38:00 GMT

Concord Community Music School announces that the 2009-2010 Scholarship Vocal Ensemble will appear as guests at the 50^th Annual Festival of Barbershop Harmony on Sunday, November 1^st at the Concord City Auditorium, Concord, NH.

Members of the Ensemble, who were chosen by audition this fall are:

Soprano - Hannah List (Bow High School)
Soprano - Halie Proulx (Goffstown High School)
Alto - Jana Hieber (Goffstown High School)
Tenor - Pat Richards (Concord High School)
Bass - Zach Ahmad (Goffstown High School)

The Ensemble is coached by Emily Jaworski, a member of the Music School’s voice faculty. Ms. Jaworski also coaches the Teen Chorus and offers individual instruction at the Music School.

The Scholarship Ensemble program at the Concord Community Music School is for highly motivated high school students who would like an intensive small ensemble experience, and who are willing to make a serious commitment to weekly rehearsals and frequent performances around the state. Scholarship Ensembles, in voice, jazz, woodwinds and strings, have performed in New York, Boston, and at high schools and community events across New Hampshire, including governor’s inaugurations and national showcase concerts.

Students who are selected will be on full scholarship through the generosity of area businesses and foundations. Over the past 25 years, students have represented many towns in NH, including Enfield, Bow, Plymouth, Groveton, Berlin, Nashua, Dover, and Keene. Scholarship Ensemble alumni are teaching, performing and recording in New York, Boston, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, and elsewhere locally and nationally. For more information on this event, please contact the Concord City Auditorium at 603-228-2793. For more information about the Concord Community Music School, please call (603) 228-1196 or visit our website at http://www.ccmusicschool.org.

Music Therapy at the Concord Community Music School

AskLisa — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 23:20:00 GMT

Concord Community Music School is pleased to offer individual and group sessions in Music Therapy through its program established in 2007 by program director Krisi Geary. Ms. Geary, who holds an M.A. in Expressive Therapies from Lesley University, was joined by joined by therapist Lynn Reimer in spring 2009 in order to expand the program’s offerings to include work with public schools and human service providers.

Ms. Geary brings to the School an extensive background in both individual and group music therapy, including work with clients with mental health issues, behavioral issues, individuals diagnosed on the autism spectrum, individuals with developmental disabilities, and Alzheimer’s disease. She is also on the staff of New Hampshire Hospital. Ms. Geary provides both individual and group music therapy services.

Ms. Reimer earned her BS and BM degrees from the State University of New York, Fredonia. She is a Board-Certified Music Therapist experienced in providing music therapy services to clients ranging from early childhood through older-adult. The scope of her practice includes individual and group music therapy services for clients diagnosed with significant to moderate special needs, mental health issues, cognitive impairments, behavioral issues, Alzheimer's disease/dementia, autism, as well as clients within hospice and palliative care, grief and loss. Ms. Reimer currently provides services within public schools, nursing/assisted living homes, and rehabilitation centers.

Music therapy addresses specific physical, emotional, cognitive, and social needs within a therapeutic relationship. Goals may include improving self-esteem, improving social interactions with peers, increasing participation, promoting reality orientation, developing coping skills, reducing stress and anxiety, promoting expression of verbal and non-verbal communication, increasing on-task behavior, improving control over motor skills, and developing creative self-expression. Individually tailored sessions address specific goals developed by clients and their caregivers in consultation with the therapist. Individuals need not have a background in or understanding of music in order to benefit from this type of therapy.

The addition of a certified Music Therapists to the Music School's faculty further advances its mission of access for all. In recognition of its achievements in furthering this mission, the Music School received the 2005 Governor's Arts Award for Cultural Access Leadership. Other Music School programs that welcome students with developmental disabilities, autism, and physical challenges include Music & Movement, individual instruction, and the Sunflower Singers.

Please call (603) 228-1196 for more information or to schedule a consultation.

Sing at Concord Community Music School

AskLisa — Tue, 18 Aug 2009 22:39:00 GMT

No matter what your age or your musical experience, the Concord Community Music School invites you to sing with us this fall. The following choruses are seeking new members: the all-women Songweavers and the Purple Finches children’s chorus (for children in grades K – 8). For those not yet in Kindergarten, a Music & Movement class gives children just finding their voices the opportunity to sing and dance with a parent or caregiver by their side. All choruses and early childhood classes are open to the public. We invite new students to sample our offerings during the first week of classes (before registering) with no obligation. Financial aid is available for all programs.

Songweavers™, founded in 1990 by Carolyn Parrott, its director, is offering Open Sings on Tuesday night, September 15, 7:30-9 pm and Wednesday morning, September 16, 9:30-11 am. These sessions are free and open to women and girls of all ages. Rehearsals during the semester also meet at these times each week, with the two groups coming together for a performance in the spring. Music-reading skills are not a pre-requisite, and singers with young children are welcome to bring them to the Wednesday morning sessions.

Also seeking new members is the Music School’s children’s chorus, the Purple Finches, named in honor of New Hampshire’s state bird. Chorus Director Maria Isaak is a certified specialist in the Kodály approach to choral music and has directed choral and musical theater performances through the Music School’s partnerships with Manchester Housing Authority and the Manchester School District’s 21st Century program. The Purple Finches meet Monday afternoons and perform both at the Music School and off-site a number of times during the year. Last December, the Purple Finches performed with Christine Lavin at the Capitol Center for the Arts, and they are scheduled to perform at Canterbury Shaker Village late this fall.

Sunflower Singers, led by Katy Gibney, brings adults with developmental disabilities and their care providers together from across central New Hampshire to sing familiar songs, accompanied by spontaneous harmonica and percussion playing. This joyful sing-along meets Wednesdays at 12:30 pm at the Music School and is open to all, free of charge, thanks to the generosity of its funders.

Additional opportunities to sing at the Music School include the Teen Chorus and Karitas, a small ensemble designed for women who would like to sing in parts, learn to read music, and improve their vocal techniques and supportive breathing. We also offer private lessons with voice faculty members. Parents, grandparents, caregivers and young children age 6 months - 6 years can sing together in Music & Movement classes. These early childhood classes begin the week of September 21st, and spaces are still available. Call 603-228-1196 or visit www.ccmusicschool.org for more information.

Concord Community Music School Presents Summer Sings

AskLisa — Tue, 23 Jun 2009 17:12:00 GMT

Back by popular demand, the Concord Community Music School will once again offer its five-week series of Summer Sings on Tuesday evenings, 7 – 8:30 pm, from June 30 through July 28. These community gatherings are open to all, no experience necessary, with no age limits. Picnic in Fletcher-Murphy Park next door, and bring the whole family! Featured during the five weeks (with words on screen for easy sing-alongs) will be:

· June 30: Family Sing, led by Carolyn Parrott and Heather Oberheim;

· July 7: Folk Song Hootenanny, led by David Surette and Susie Burke;

· July 14: Music of the 60’s: Beatles and Motown, led by Jane Berlin Pauley, Kent Allyn and David Tonkin;

· July 21: African Rhythms, led by Lindsey and Grace Schust; and

· July 28: Broadway Night, led by Emily Jaworski and Calvin Herst.

In addition to the Summer Sings, the Music School offers its ever-popular Jazz Camp running the week of July 6 – 10^th, for pre-teens through adults. The camp meets daily, 9:30 am – 1:30 pm, and includes ensemble, performance, recording technique, improvisation and instrumental master classes. The week is team-taught by members of the Music School’s jazz faculty. For the younger set (6-months – 7-years), Music and Movement classes, led by Heather Oberheim, director of the Music School’s early childhood program, meet Tuesdays through July 28th. Teens and adults looking for a new musical experience will enjoy the steel pan bands led by Paul Silverman of Hopkinton High School. These classes take place Wednesdays and Thursdays (July 8^th and 9^th through July 29^th and 30^th). For teen and adult singers looking to broaden their knowledge and skills, Ellen Nordstrom Baer, Voice Department Chair at the Music School, will offer seminars for singers on four Thursday evenings (July 9^th – 30^th, from 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm) covering ways to protect the voice, succeed in auditions, cope with stage fright, and communicate with an audience. The class on July 16th will be open to teachers and choral directors only.

Private lessons in most instruments and voice are offered on a flexible basis as are ensemble coachings (chamber music to garage bands), and music therapy sessions.

Call the Music School for more information, 603-228-1196, or visit the website http://www.ccmusicschool.org where you can download registration forms for all the above programs.

2008-09 Bach's Lunch Series Closes with a Premiere

AskLisa — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 23:27:00 GMT

The Bach’s Lunch Series closes its 2008-09 Season with a lecture on June 4^th by Peggy Senter entitled “The Thrill of a Premiere: A Performer’s Perspective” and a concert the following Thursday, May 11^th featuring Jean Benson, flute and Gregg Pauley, piano. The concert, entitled “American Inspirations," will feature the premiere of three lines (after Roethke), by Concord composer William Fletcher, along with works by American composers Lukas Foss and Aaron Copland. Bach’s Lunch programs are free, and take place in the Music School’s Recital Hall, 23 Wall St., downtown Concord, from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.

In her June 4^th lecture, Ms. Senter, who was worked with Fletcher and other composers in premiering their new works, will speak from a performer's viewpoint about the excitement and discovery in helping to bring a new work to life. She will give insights into Fletcher's compositional style, based on her 25 year involvement as a performer with Fletcher's three song cycles. In addition, the Music School has commissioned Fletcher for two works for its Contemporary Festivals: Requerdos Imaginerios, for flute, guitar, oboe and cello (1996); and Sarasongs, based on poetry of Sara Teasdale, for women's vocal ensemble, flute, oboe and piano (2002), which will also be featured in the lecture.

The following Thursday, June 11th, flutist Jean Benson, accompanied by fellow Music School faculty member, pianist Gregg Pauley, will perform the Duo for Flute and Piano by Aaron Copland, Three American Pieces by Lukas Foss, and the premiere of three lines (after Roethke) by Concord composer William Fletcher. The program shows a progression of American music composed within the past 100 years, with Fletcher's 2008 composition being the most recent. William Fletcher has been featured as a composer many times in the Music School's history, receiving two commissions from the School, and having written music for faculty members Senter, Peggo Horstmann Hodes, Gregg Pauley, Jean Benson, and Mark Andrew Cleveland. Although an instrumental composition, this new work recalls a work composed in 1985 for voice and piano, Two Poems of Theodore Roethke, and reflects the composer's deep knowledge of and affection for Roethke and other poets. The title is derived from three lines by Roethke, each of which inspires a movement of the piece.

The Bach’s Lunch Series received a 2007 Best of NH Award from New Hampshire Magazine, named as an Editor's Pick - “best place to bring a brown-bag lunch.”

The Bach’s Lunch series is sponsored by The Duprey Companies; The Couch Trusts, TD Banknorth, N.A., Trustee; and The Timothy and Abigail B. Walker Lecture Fund. Call 603-228-1196 for information, or visit the website www.ccmusicschool.org

About the artists:

Peggy Senter, speaker, founder and president of the Music School, is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of the University of North Carolina in music education, and also holds a master of music degree in piano performance from the University of Wisconsin, with further study in voice, piano pedagogy and arts administration. She has received such honors as the Governor's Award for Arts Education (1993), the University of North Carolina Distinguished Alumna Award (1999), and the Greater Concord Chamber of Commerce Citizen of the Year (2007). Her piano teachers include Michael Zenge, Howard Karp, and Victor Rosenbaum, and her previous piano faculty positions include the Rivers Music School, North Shore Community College, and St. Paul’s School. She has performed in recital and as concerto soloist and chamber musician in North Carolina, Wisconsin, and New England, including many premieres of new works with Composers in Red Sneakers, Nuclassix, and the Musicians of Wall Street.

Jean Benson, flute, began her study of the flute at the Eastman School of Music with John Thomas. After moving to New Hampshire she traveled to Vermont and New York to study with Louis Moyse and Julius Baker. She received a Bachelor of Music degree from Keene State College, studying with Bonnie Insull and other members of the Apple Hill Chamber Players. A frequent soloist in the New England area, Ms. Benson has participated in recital series at King’s College Chapel, the Blacksmith’sHouse, the Longy School, Boston Conservatory, and St. Paul’s School. Formerly principal flute with the Nashua Symphony, Ms. Benson has also soloed with the New Hampshire Philharmonic and the Vermont Symphony. She has performed with the Great Waters Festival and Granite State Opera, and currently plays with the Granite State Symphony Orchestra. Ms. Benson lives in Concord with her husband and daughter, and maintains an active teaching and performing schedule at St. Paul’s School and the Concord Community Music School.

Gregg Pauley, piano, joined the faculty of the Music School in the fall of 1999. A native of Southern California, he earned his bachelor’s degree in music from the University of Southern California with pianist James Bonn. He earned a master’s degree at Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts where he studied with Ilana Vered. In addition to many appearances at the Rutgers Summerfest, Pauley has performed in Alice Tully Hall in New York City, at Steinway Hall in Los Angeles and has been presented in recital by the Steinway Society of Princeton, the University of Southern California, the Southwestern Youth Music Festival, Aspen Music Festival and the Music Teachers’ National Association Convention, among others. He has performed on WQXR radio in New York and on WKPM in Portland, Maine where he was the featured soloist in a live broadcast of Beethoven’s Fourth Piano Concerto. Pauley has been a top prizewinner at many competitions, including the Johanna Hodges International Piano Competition, the Portland Symphony-Priscilla Morneault Piano Competition and the Hampton Summerfest Competition.

William A. Fletcher, composer, is currently on the faculty of St. Paul’s School, where, in addition to his duties as Choirmaster, he teaches voice, composition and music theory. He has held the position of voice department chair of the Concord Community Music School, where he also coached the Scholarship Vocal Ensemble. A respected composer, his compositions for voice and piano have been performed throughout the United States, and has received commissions from the Christa MacAuliffe Planetarium, The Concord Community Music School, The Concord Chorale, The Infinities Ensemble and St. Paul's School as well as from performers Peggo Horstmann Hodes, Mark Andrew Cleveland, Gregg Pauley and Jean Benson. Mr. Fletcher has produced recordings for Steve Schuch, The Night Heron Consort, Wellspring, femme m’amie, Peggo & Paul, St. Paul's School, Lucy Chapin, Johnny Nicholson, and soprano Holly Outwin-Tepe. An ardent supporter of new music, he has conducted the premieres of works by Michael Annicchiarico, Gwyneth Walker, Augusta Read Thomas, James Grant, Robert Powell, Marilyn Ziffrin, Petr Reznícek and Henryk Górecki among others.

Concord Community Music School Expands Music Therapy Program

AskLisa — Thu, 07 May 2009 22:51:00 GMT

Concord Community Music School is pleased to announce that Music Therapist Krisi Geary, Director of the Music School’s Music Therapy Program, will be joined by Therapist Lynn Reimer as the program expands its services to include work with public schools and human service providers.

Please call (603) 228-1196 for more information or to schedule a consultation.

Concord Community Music School is a full member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts and is recognized nationally for program innovation and management excellence. Welcoming adults, teens and children of all musical abilities, 55 artist teachers reach more than 33,000 people in four states with educational programs, concerts, workshops and community partnerships. CCMS has received major funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Hearst Foundation, New Hampshire State Council on the Arts, Jane’s Trust, and the New Hampshire Charitable Foundation, and is the 2005 recipient of the NH Governor’s Arts Award for Cultural Access Leadership.

May Bach's Lunch Lecture and Concert

AskLisa — Thu, 30 Apr 2009 16:05:00 GMT

“Barbara Allen” Travels from Scotland to America: Trace the Path of a Traditional Ballad at May’s Bach’s Lunch

The Bach’s Lunch Series continues on May 7th with a lecture by Daniel Beller-McKenna entitled “From Scotland to America: Barbara Allen’s Travels.” On May 14th, Jane Berlin Pauley, Peggo Horstmann Hodes and Hannah Schramm Murray, together with pianist Calvin Herst, will present a Bach’s Lunch concert entitled “Americana.” Bach’s Lunch programs are free, and take place in the Music School’s Recital Hall, 23 Wall St., downtown Concord, from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.

In his May 7th lecture, Mr. Beller-McKenna will trace the traditional British Isles ballad “Barbara Allen” from its roots in Scotland, to its appearance as an Appalachian folk song in American colonial times, to modern American representations of the tune and its story. This traditional ballad is just one example of the American musical “melting pot” that has influenced our country’s music through the centuries. The following Thursday, May 14th, Trillium, a trio comprised of Concord Community Music School voice faculty members Jane Berlin Pauley, Peggo Horstmann Hodes and Hannah Schramm Murray, will offer a retrospective of American music including some early Appalachian songs, spirituals, folk songs and standards, including songs by Aaron Copland, George Gershwin and Peggo Horstmann Hodes.

The Bach’s Lunch Series received a 2007 Best of NH Award from New Hampshire Magazine, named as an Editor's Pick - “best place to bring a brown-bag lunch.”

About the artists:
Daniel Beller-McKenna is Associate Professor of Music at the University of New Hampshire where he has been on the faculty since 1998. He has published widely on the music of Johannes Brahms and (less widely) on John Lennon and the Beatles. Beller-McKenna is President of the American Brahms Society and performs in various musical ensembles in the New Hampshire seacoast region.

Jane Berlin-Pauley, soprano, received her bachelor of music in performance from Rutgers University’s Mason Gross School of the Arts and her master’s degree from the New England Conservatory of Music. She pursued further studies at Westminster Choir College, Manhattan School of Music, Aspen Opera Theater Center and the Tanglewood Music Center. Her opera and concert engagements include Rutgers Summerfest, New England Lyric Operetta, Dartmouth Handel Society, Longwood Opera and Opera D’amore. Her teachers include Susan Clickner, Bruce Kolb, Cynthia Hoffman and William Sharp.

Peggo Horstmann Hodes, soprano, holds master’s degrees in Elementary Education from Lesley College and Vocal Pedagogy from the New England Conservatory. Peggo has been soloist with the New Hampshire Symphony, the Granite State Symphony, the Concord Chorale and the Musicians of Wall Street. In recital, she has premiered works written for her by William Fletcher and Thomas Oboe Lee. Horstmann Hodes is a founding member of femme m’amie, the seven-woman a cappella ensemble, which has recorded two highly acclaimed CDs. She is also half of the duo Peggo & Paul, the New Hampshire recording artists who have gained an international reputation for their original family recordings, two of which won Parents’ Choice Awards. Horstmann Hodes teaches a workshop called Vibrant Voice, which combines creative singing and writing to free the voice and soul. She has led workshops in Hawaii, California, New York, Maine, and New Hampshire. At the Music School, she is a member of the voice faculty and leads the vocal ensemble Karitas.

Hannah Schramm Murray, soprano, earned her master’s in music from Westminster Choir College. Additional studies include Connecticut College (B.A.), the Royal academy of Music in London, and Middlebury College’s Deutsch fur Sängerin program. Mrs. Murray has been a member of the voice faculty at CCMS since 2000, and is currently a music faculty member at St. Paul’s School. She has also taught at Endicott College, Boston Conservatory outreach program, and the Community Music School of Springfield. Mrs. Murray has performed throughout the Northeastern United States, been a soloist for the Nashua symphony, and the Paul Madore Chorale, Trinity United Methodist Church in Springfield, and The Opera Circle. Mrs. Murray is an active member of NATS

Public Invited to Free Vocal Workshops

AskLisa — Sat, 28 Mar 2009 21:38:00 GMT

The Concord Community Music School’s Voice Department invites the public to take part in its annual series of workshops on vocal technique and performance, April 6 - 9. All sessions are free, open to the public, and designed to reach all ages and levels of singers, including members of high school and community choruses and theater groups, voice students and teachers. All workshops take place at the Concord Community Music School at 23 Wall Street in downtown Concord.

The workshops cover a variety of topics including Musical Theater, Harmony, Jazz Vocals, German Lieder and Gilbert and Sullivan. For those interested in the physiology of vocal production, otolaryngologist Dr. Warren Emley will explore the effects of aging on the human voice and its effects on the singer. All other sessions are led by voice department faculty.

Worshop Weeks, free and open to the public, are held throughout the year by the Music School's faculty. The String Department will hold a workshop series May 4 - 6. Call the Music School for more information, 603-228-1196, or visit the website http://www.ccmusicschool.org.

The full schedule for the Voice Department Workshops with instructors is listed below:

Monday, April 6, 2009

4:00 pm – 5:30 pm:
Gilbert & Sullivan Master Class – Mark Andrew Cleveland
5:30 pm – 7:00 pm:
The Singer as Actor – Jane Berlin Pauley
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm:
Jazz Vocals and “Scat-singing”– Peggo Horstmann Hodes and Tom Robinson, jazz piano

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

5:00 pm – 6:30 pm:
German Diction Workshop - Andrea Veal
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm:
Healthy Voice Management for Older Voices – Ellen Nordstrom Baer

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

3:30 pm – 5:00 pm:
A Cappella Harmonizing – Hannah Schramm Murray
5:00 pm – 6:30 pm:
The Physiology of the Voice – Dr. Warren Emley

Thursday, April 9, 2009

4:30 pm – 6:00 pm:
Choral Conducting Techniques – Emily Jaworski (open for observation only)
7:00 pm – 8:30 pm:
Successful Audition Techniques – Ellen Nordstrom Baer

April’s Bach’s Lunch: A Road Map for Listening to Jazz

AskLisa — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 00:22:00 GMT

The Bach’s Lunch Series continues on April 2nd with a lecture by Mark Shilansky entitled “Listening to Jazz: A Road Map.” On April 9th, Matt Langley, saxophone; David Tonkin, guitar; Brendan Dowd, bass, and Tim Gilmore, drums, will present “The Legacy of Bassist Charlie Haden.” Bach’s Lunch programs are free, and take place in the Music School’s Recital Hall, 23 Wall St., downtown Concord, from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.

On April 2, Mark Shilansky will give audience members a tour through the “library” of jazz improvisational techniques, giving an entertaining insider’s view into how jazz musicians decide what to play when improvising on a tune. Shilansky will demonstrate these improvisational ideas at the piano and with selected recordings. Especially with the “free jazz” idiom that Haden often explored, this road map of how jazz musicians organize the improvisation will help listeners follow the structure of the music to be presented in the concert on April 9. The Bach’s Lunch concert will feature works of famous bassists from the jazz tradition, including Charlie Haden, Oscar Pettiford, Rufus Reid and Charles Mingus. Listeners are invited to explore, as the ensemble plays, the way in which the bass player holds a singular position in a jazz setting. A deep understanding of this role allows the bass player a unique vantage point from which to lead a musical journey for both players and listeners alike.

The Bach’s Lunch Series received a 2007 Best of NH Award from New Hampshire Magazine, named as an Editor's Pick - “best place to bring a brown-bag lunch.”

About the artists:
Mark Shilansky has been playing the piano and writing songs since the age of 8. Now, 28 years later (after studying with Dave Tonkin and Michael Annicchiarico at the Concord Community Music School, then going on to UNH and New England Conservatory), he teaches ear training, improvisation, and arranging at Berklee College of Music, and his alma mater, UNH. He also keeps himself busy writing music and producing CDs (over 40 at last count) for himself and others, on which he plays keyboard instruments and sometimes sings. Some of these CDs are the piano trio date "First Look" (1997), the collection of original pop songs "Different Songs" (2000), the suite of extended jazz compositions "Other Voices" (2003) and "Join the Club" (2007). Shilansky also counts as his achievements 3 performances at the IAJE (International Association for Jazz Education) annual convention, and performances and recordings with such artists as Luciana Souza, Rebecca Parris, Kenny Wheeler, Jerry Bergonzi, and the New York Voices, as well as two recent tours of Japan and a performance at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival with the vocal jazz group "Syncopation."

Matt Langley (saxophone) has studied with Lou Marini of Saturday Night Live, David Baker, Ted Dunbar, and Stan Strickland. Since 1988, he has been a member of the Charlie Kohlhase Quintet (CKQ), recording three CDs on the Accurate Label. CKQ has toured the United States extensively, performing in jazz festivals from the Boston Globe Festival to the Rutabega Jazz Jam in Knoxville, Illinois, and giving clinics, master classes and individual lessons. CKQ’s fourth CD, Dancing on my Bedpost, showed up on the top ten lists of many jazz critics in 1999 and their fifth CD is currently awaiting release on the NADA label. Matt’s recording sessions have included ones with Ron Carter, John Medeski, Billy Martin, Chris Wood, Roswell Rudd, and many others. Matt performs regularly with Tonkin Toys and teaches at the Concord Community Music School.

David Tonkin (guitar) has studied jazz guitar with Ed Cory, Jay Azzolina, and Randy Roos. Chair of the Music School’s Jazz Department, he has worked with the NH Artists in the Schools Program, led workshops at the Lincoln Center Institute at Dartmouth College, and taught at UNH Manchester. He performs throughout New England. Founder of the David Tonkin Group and Tonkin Toys. Tonkin performed in two sold-out performances with Straight No Chaser at the well-known New York City jazz club, The Blue Note, and at the Saratoga Jazz Festival. An active composer, his work has been heard on radio and television throughout the area. He teaches at the Concord Community Music School, where he is Jazz Department Chair.

Brendan Dowd (bass) graduated magna *** laude from Plymouth State University having studied with Don Williams and John Hunter and attended master classes with Todd Coolman, Rufus Reid, and David Dempsey. In addition to electric/double bass instruction and co-leading jazz ensembles at CCMS, Brendan teaches general music, band, and chorus at Ashland Elementary School, in Ashland, NH. He has performed throughout New England with many talented musicians, and performs regularly with the Jared Steer Quartet, Scott Solsky Group, The ftet, and the critically acclaimed bluegrass/folk group, High Range.

Tim Gilmore (percussion) received a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Ed/Music from Salem State College and studied further in composition and performance programs at Berklee College of Music. He is a member of the Harry Skoler Jazz Quartet with Brownstone Recording Artists and has performed with such groups as the Cape Ann Symphony, the Symphony by the Sea, the Paul Madore Chorale, the Boston Percussion Ensemble and the Cambridge Harmonic Orchestra. He has also performed with Lester Bowie, Marion McPartland, Tower of Power, Tiger Okoshi, and Warren Vache. Some of his recordings include “A Work of Heart,” “Reflections on the Art of Swing” and “Conversations in the Language of Jazz” on Brownstone Records. Tim is also on the Concord Community Music School faculty.

Bay State Winds to Perform at Concord Community Music School

AskLisa — Thu, 19 Mar 2009 15:56:00 GMT

Concord Community Music School is pleased to welcome Bay State Winds on Wednesday, April 1 at 7:00 pm. One of the newer chamber ensembles of the United States Air Force Band of Liberty, this clarinet quartet will perform a diverse program ranging from Baroque to Broadway, incorporating original arrangements. This ensemble provides musical support for a wide variety of military and civilian functions and performs regularly with the Chamber Winds Ensemble.

The concert will take place in the Concord Community Music School’s Recital Hall, with with entrances on Fayette and Wall streets. Admission is free. For more information call 603-228-1196.

7th Annual Mandolin Festival & Concert

AskLisa — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:34:00 GMT

March Mandolin Madness

Four nationally-known multi-instrumentalists will headline the seventh annual March Mandolin Festival at the Concord Community Music School. This year, the festival features Radim Zenkl, Seth Austen, Skip Gorman and David Surette. The festival concert, open to the public, takes place in the Music School’s Recital Hall on Saturday, March 7th, at 7:30 pm. The Concord concert follows a festival concert at The Press Room in Portsmouth on Friday, March 6th.

This two-day event offers group lessons, workshops on a variety of topics, and jam sessions, in addition to the public concert on Saturday evening. Saturday workshops include Mandolin Technique and Speed Development, Developing a Classic Bluegrass Sound, Group Tunes, Right Hand Picking Techniques, Exploring the Blues and Irish Jigs and Slip Jigs, to name only a few. Rolfe Gerhardt and Jenny Warner of Phoenix Mandolins will be available all day Saturday to assist participants with care and repair issues. Sunday morning will offer a chance to consolidate Saturday’s events, compare notes and play through the group tunes together. The Festival will close at 12:30 pm on Sunday.

David Surette, festival organizer and recording artist, is widely known for his work on the mandolin, guitar and bouzouki, his frequent solo appearances, as well as performances with Susie Burke, Rodney Miller and the group “Airdance.” Surette is coordinator of the Music School’s folk program.

The full weekend festival is limited to 50 students and usually sells out early, with pre-registration required. For more information on the festival and to pre-register for the weekend’s workshops, or to purchase general admission tickets for the Saturday evening concert, call the Concord Community Music School, 603-228-1196, or drop by the school at 23 Wall Street in downtown Concord. Tickets for the concert are $15 for adults; $12 for students and seniors. Festival sponsors include the NH State Council on the Arts Traditional Arts Program, www.MandolinCafe.com, and the Concord Courtyard Marriott Hotel.

With a mission “to foster a sense of community through music…for people of all ages, musical abilities, and backgrounds,” the Music School welcomes adults, teens, and children, emphasizing the importance of ensembles and performance as well as individual instruction. It also partners with more than 20 New Hampshire schools, human service agencies, retirement homes, and public housing communities to bring musical participation to people unable to travel to CCMS. Call the Music School for more information, 603-228-1196, or visit the website www.ccmusicschool.org.

March Bach’s Lunch Series: Dance with the Devil

AskLisa — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 14:33:00 GMT

The Concord Community Music School’s Bach’s Lunch Series continues on March 5th with a lecture by UNH Professor Christopher Kies entitled “The Supernatural in Music.” On March 12th, Gregg Pauley, pianist and faculty member at the Music School, will present “Dance with the Devil: Music of Scriabin, Liszt and Bolcom.” Bach’s Lunch programs are free, and take place in the Music School’s Recital Hall, 23 Wall St., downtown Concord, from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m. Throughout history, many composers have been inspired to represent either "demons" in general or "the devil" in particular in their music. Moreover, composers and performers both have occasionally been seen as being possessed by demonic traits themselves. On Thursday, March 5th, Christopher Kies will explore some of the outstanding musical examples of this genre and consider the reasons why these works and their composers/performers are so popular.

The following Thursday, March 12th, pianist Gregg Pauley will give voice to this intriguing topic in a concert featuring such works as Liszt’s Mephisto Waltz, Scriabin’s Black Mass Sonata, and William Bolcom’s The Graceful Ghost. Bolcom, a prolific composer whose work spans ragtime, art songs, and symphonies, won the Pulitzer Prize for music in 1988.

The Bach’s Lunch Series received a 2007 Best of NH Award from NH Magazine—“best place to bring a brown-bag lunch”—and is sponsored by The Duprey Companies; The Couch Trusts, TD Banknorth, N.A., Trustee; and The Timothy and Abigail B. Walker Lecture Fund. Call 603-228-1196 for information, or visit the website www.ccmusicschool.org.

Cantabile String Quartet to Perform at Concord Community Music School

AskLisa — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 14:47:00 GMT

The Musicians of Wall Street Recital Series continues this year with an afternoon concert by the Cantabile String Quartet. Performing music of Mozart, Boccherini, Winter and Borodin, the Quartet features Bozena O’Brien and Pattison Story, violin; Brian Whitfield, viola; and Toni Rapier, cello. The concert will take place in the Music School’s Recital Hall, located at 23 Wall Street in downtown Concord, on Sunday, February 15th at 4:00 pm. The concert is sponsored by Harvest Capital.

The afternoon’s program features works that date from the late 1700’s to the present, including a contemporary jazz piece, “Bettina,” by Bob Winter, jazz pianist and facuty member at the Berklee College of Music. Another highlight of the program will be the performance of Borodin’s String Quartet #2, the familiar melodies of which can be heard in the musical Kismet and have been known to leave audience members humming.

Originally formed as a piano quartet in 1990, Cantabile has been an active presenter of chamber music in eastern Massachusetts ever since. Bozena O’Brien, violinist and string department chair at the Concord Community Music School, joins violinist Pattison Story, who plays in the Boston Pops, Pro Arte and Landmarks chamber orchestras, and the orchestras of the Lyric Opera and Boston Ballet; Brian Whitfield, violist, student of Kato Havas; and cellist Toni Rapier, who has played with many orchestra both nationwide and locally.

Named for its location in downtown Concord, the Music School’s Musicians of Wall Street concerts showcase the talents of its 55 artist teachers and guest artists who are their colleagues.

Tickets are $12 for adults and $10 for students and seniors, and may be purchased in advance by calling 228-1196. For more information about the Music School, visit the website at www.ccmusicschool.org.

February Bach’s Lunch: Musical Valentines

AskLisa — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 01:29:00 GMT

The Bach’s Lunch Series continues on February 5th with a lecture by Mark Shilansky entitled “Old Favorites, New Sounds: Interpreting Popular Songs.” On February 12th, Peggo Horstmann Hodes, vocalist, and Kent Allyn, piano, bass and guitar, will present “Winter of Love: Musical Valentines.” Bach’s Lunch programs are free, and take place in the Music School’s Recital Hall, 23 Wall St., downtown Concord, from 12:10 to 12:50 p.m.

On Thursday, February 5th, audience members are invited to join Bach’s Lunch speaker Mark Shilansky as he plays recordings of singers with different styles performing the same song, and demonstrates how he as a jazz pianist and arranger uses re-harmonization and different grooves to personalize these songs on his own recordings.

The following Thursday, February 12th, marks the annual return of the Music School’s popular Valentine’s duo, faculty members Peggo Horstmann Hodes, vocalist, and Kent Allyn, piano, bass and guitar. In this year's Bach's Lunch concert, "Winter of Love," Peggo and Kent will hearken back to the hopeful, poetic, passionate music from the “summer of love” of the late 60's to celebrate the current time of optimism. Performing songs made famous by Joni Mitchell, Bob Dylan and Judy Collins, Peggo and Kent will, in the words of Joni Mitchell, “court and spark you.”

The Bach’s Lunch Series received a 2007 Best of NH Award from New Hampshire Magazine, named as an Editor's Pick - “best place to bring a brown-bag lunch.”

Mark Shilansky has been playing the piano and writing songs since the age of 8. Now, 28 years later (after studying with Dave Tonkin and Michael Annicchiarico at the Concord Community Music School, then going on to UNH and New England Conservatory), he teaches ear training, improvisation, and arranging at Berklee College of Music, and his alma mater, UNH. He also keeps himself busy writing music and producing CDs (over 40 at last count) for himself and others, on which he plays keyboard instruments and sometimes sings. Some of these CDs are the piano trio date "First Look" (1997), the collection of original pop songs "Different Songs" (2000), the suite of extended jazz compositions "Other Voices" (2003) and "Join the Club" (2007). Shilansky also counts as his achievements 3 performances at the IAJE (International Association for Jazz Education) annual convention, and performances and recordings with such artists as Luciana Souza, Rebecca Parris, Kenny Wheeler, Jerry Bergonzi, and the New York Voices, as well as two recent tours of Japan and a performance at the Tanglewood Jazz Festival with the vocal jazz group "Syncopation."

Peggo Horstmann Hodes holds master’s degrees in Elementary Education from Lesley College and Vocal Pedagogy from the New England Conservatory. Peggo has been soloist with the New Hampshire Symphony, the Granite State Symphony, the Concord Chorale and the Musicians of Wall Street. In recital, she has premiered works written for her by William Fletcher and Thomas Oboe Lee. Horstmann Hodes is a founding member of femme m’amie, the seven-woman a cappella ensemble, which has recorded two highly acclaimed CDs. She is also half of the duo Peggo & Paul, the New Hampshire recording artists who have gained an international reputation for their original family recordings, two of which won Parents’ Choice Awards. Horstmann Hodes teaches a workshop called Vibrant Voice, which combines creative singing and writing to free the voice and soul. She has led workshops in Hawaii, California, New York, Maine, and New Hampshire. At the Music School, she is a member of the voice faculty and leads the vocal ensemble Karitas.

Kent Allyn is widely considered to be everyone’s favorite sideman by both audiences and performers. In addition to his work with Susie Burke and David Surette, his long list of recording and performing credits includes Ben Baldwin & the Big Note, Paul and Peggo, Cosy Sheridan, Brooks Williams, and The Night Heron Consort, to name just a few. Kent teaches at Berwick Academy in South Berwick, Maine.