BAAMS Holding its 7th Summer Jazz Day Camp| 06:03AM / Saturday, July 12, 2025 | |
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Each summer, a group of master musicians assembles in North Adams at The Berkshires' Academy for Advanced Musical Studies (BAAMS) to offer the region's youth ages 12 to 18 a full week of learning.
This year, Berkshire County musicians ages 12-18 will have the chance to study and play with some of the world’s finest musicians, including NBC's "Saturday Night Live" Band saxophonist and Juilliard faculty member, Ron Blake, guitar master Rodney Jones, along with two master drummer percussionists, Mino Cinelu and Kenwood Dennard.
Both drummers are former members of the bands of Sting, Jaco Pastorious, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter.
This year's camp takes place from July 14 through the 18.
The 7th Berkshires' Summer Jazz Band Day Camp takes place each summer, with five days of learning everything from music theory, ear training, how to compose, how to improvise, how to honor one's musical voice, and work with others to create performances of original work. Students come from around Berkshire County, with the highest concentration of attendees from the Northern Berkshires, but also from as far away as Lee, Stockbridge, Boston and Cambridge, New York City, and central Vermont.
"Next week’s camp is a huge opportunity for area young musicians and will help inspire and even transform their current playing levels. If you are 12-18 and play the saxophone or woodwinds, trumpet, guitar, or the drums, this is the place to be this summer," said Richard Boulger, Founder and Executive Director. He added, "You don’t have to have a lot of experience playing, or you can be an advanced player — with any level, our faculty will help each of our students have success in their musical growth and have fun doing it!"
Students will be playing a few select jazz standards on which they will learn how to improvise, as well as compose their own original music.
There are still a few slots left for selected instruments, and scholarships are being offered for qualifying families. Click here to register for Jazz Camp: berkshiresacademyams.org/berkshires-summer-jazz-day-camp
During the week, with all musicians in town at one time, BAAMS is offering a once-a-year opportunity for music lovers to hear their BAAMS LEGACY BAND perform live on Wednesday, July 16, at Studio 9 at the Porches' Inn, North Adams. Some students will be asked to sit in with the band. Tickets are available via the venue's website at this link: https://studio9porches.com/performance/studio-9-presents-baams-faculty-concert/
This show, with a theme of HOMECOMING, is being given as a fundraiser in support of the week-long music camp.
There will be another performance at the Adams Theater, 27 Park St., Adams, MA, on Friday, July 18, starting at 7:00 PM. The show runs from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM and features the BAAMS LEGACY BAND immediately following the student performance for family and friends at 5:30 PM. This event caps off the week, held in the same space where the band performed for BAAMS' Third Anniversary in May 2023.
Tickets are available here: https://www.eventbrite.com/e/baams-legacy-band-in-concert-tickets-1468055155489?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl
BAAMS has recently marked its Five-Year Anniversary becoming incorporated as a nonprofit music academy and cultural institution. It was founded by North Adams native, trumpeter and composer, educator, Richard Boulger.
BAAMS is located in Heritage Park, Building 6, North Adams, Mass.
BAAMS faculty also offer after-school lessons, weekend ensemble classes, and the faculty also bring their clinics into the region's schools made possible by grants from the Mass Cultural Council and donations.
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