August 30, 2022
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Berkshire Children’s Chorus to begin residency at Berkshire Music School in September
Exciting new partnership between two local cultural institutions will create new musical connections for children across Berkshire County
Enrollment is now open for 3rd-8th graders in Pittsfield and surrounding towns who are interested in joining the Berkshire Children’s Chorus as part of a new residency at Berkshire Music School at 30 Wendell Avenue in Pittsfield.
Berkshire Children’s Chorus was founded in 1990 in Sheffield, and though it has always welcomed children from throughout the area, distance has sometimes been a limiting factor for interested families. Now, for the first time ever, this pilot program will allow Berkshire Children’s Chorus’s Artistic Director Ryan LaBoy to offer two rehearsal locations:
Singers from Central County will rehearse at Berkshire Music School in Pittsfield on Tuesdays and singers from South County will rehearse at Old Parish Church in Sheffield on Wednesdays.
After rehearsing separately, the groups will come together for performances, retreats, and other special activities.
The partnership represents a welcome evolution for both organizations, and was born out of a collaboration in the spring of 2022, which brought free ukulele lessons, taught by a Berkshire Music School teaching artist, to all the members of Berkshire Children’s Chorus.
To enroll, please visit https://berkshirechildrenschorus.org/interest/ or call/text artistic director, Ryan LaBoy at 413-347-9606.
Berkshire Children’s Chorus and Berkshire Music School are committed to providing musical opportunities for all youth regardless of their family’s ability to pay. Generous scholarships are available directly through Berkshire Children’s Chorus upon request.
Quote from Natalie Johnsonius Neubert – Executive Director, Berkshire Music School:
“The Berkshire Music School and the Berkshire Children’s Chorus have always been two beloved organizations that share similar values and visions for fostering the love of music in our community’s young people, and Ryan and I first began talking last year about ways to partner together to that end. Our ukulele program with BCC last Spring was such a hit with the kids; everyone was learning so much and having a wonderful time together. Having BCC in residence at BMS is the next logical step in bringing together youth from across the county to make music together!”
Quote from Ryan LaBoy – Artistic Director, Berkshire Children’s Chorus:
“This pilot program represents a huge step toward achieving our dream of creating a true Berkshire Children’s Chorus that brings youth together from across the entire county. It’s about musical access and opportunity as much as it is about meeting our neighbors and planting the seeds for lifelong friendships! We are so excited to partner in this work with Berkshire Music School who shares our passion for using music as a tool to connect young people more deeply to their communities and each other.”
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ABOUT THE BERKSHIRE MUSIC SCHOOL:
The Berkshire Music School is dedicated to providing quality education in music, and musical opportunities to people in the greater Berkshire community, regardless of race, sex, religion, ethnic origin, age, or disability. The school serves more than 400 students studying with more than 40 professional musician/educator faculty members. BMS also hosts a variety of collaborations with other cultural organizations, social service agencies, and senior centers as well as recitals, concerts, and residencies at venues across the county. BMS’s programs include both private and group learning opportunities online as well as in-person on its historic Pittsfield campus. Honoring its founder’s legacy BMS has need-based financial assistance and generous work-study opportunities available for all its programs, and turns no one away on account of inability to pay. Berkshire Music School is a member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts and is a Chapter Charter Tri-M Music Honor Society member, a program of the NAfME National Association for Music Education. The Berkshire Music School was named “Best After-School Program” by The Berkshire Eagle’s 2021 Best of the Berkshire Awards. For more information, call 413-442-1411 or visit www.berkshiremusicschool.org.
ABOUT BERKSHIRE CHILDREN’S CHORUS:
Berkshire Children’s Chorus explores the globe and travels through time by singing music from various cultures and eras. Berkshire Children’s Chorus also uses music to spark new friendships between singers from across the region. Weekly rehearsals feature the development of individual self-confidence and teamwork skills, as well as music reading, ear training, and vocal technique. Singers also have the opportunity to begin accompanying themselves by learning to play ukulele! Founded in 1990 and currently under the artistic direction of Ryan LaBoy, the Berkshire Children’s Chorus has a long history of singing with local collaborators, most recently including Bard College at Simon’s Rock, Stockbridge Sinfonia, Greenagers, Chorus Angelicus, and Crescendo. Taking their talents on the road, Berkshire Children’s Chorus has also performed in places such as Canterbury, Paris, Rome, New York City, and Toronto with renowned conductors John Rutter, Henry Leck, and María Guinand, and more. Singers are auditioned on a rolling basis and generous scholarships are available. Learn more at berkshirechildrenschorus.org.