Community Resources and Programs

The Perry and Marty Granoff Music Center will be a resource for the local community. In addition to its diverse array of concerts, most of which are free, the Department of Music has begun a wide-ranging community music program, under the direction of Edith Auner. As part of this program, Tufts undergraduate music students will be serving as mentors to middle-school music students in Somerville and Medford. In the summer we will be hosting a workshop for adults in West African Drumming in conjunction with the New England Conservatory Intercultural Institute.

On February 2, 2008, we will begin the second semester of our Community Music Program. For information on any of the program, classes, scholarship information, or to be placed on our mailing list, please contact Edith Auner at Edith.Auner@tufts.edu or (617) 627-5616

Community Music Programs at Tufts
APPLICATION FOR THE PROGRAM

Saturday classes (9 am to 1 pm) beginning in September, 2007

Second Semester - REGISTRATION FOR SECOND SEMESTER HAS BEGUN!
February 2, 2008 - June 7, 2008

No classes on:
February 16 and 23 (Winter Break), April 19 and 26 (Spring Break), May 24 (Memorial Day Weekend).

Classes for young children ages 3 - 6
Music and Movement based on Dalcroze Eurhythmics.  45 minute classes for 3, 4, and 5-6 year olds.
Jill Gleim, instructor. Click for bio.  
$170.00 per semester 
The Dalcroze method teaches musical concepts through movement, storytelling, folk songs and dances.  The process emphasizes body awareness, self-expression, exploration and control. This experience is particularly exciting in the development of musical training for young children.

Spring Schedule:
9:30 am - 3 to 4 yr old class
10:15 am - 4 to 5 yr old class
11:00 am - 5 to 6 yr old class
All classes are 45 minutes

Classes for Children 7 - 10
Group Piano Class  One hour classes. 10 am - 11 am, beginning level; 11 am to 12 pm, intermediate level; Nando Michelin, instructor. Click for bio.  
$250 per semester
Taught in our piano/computer lab with touch sensitive keyboards.  Beginning and intermediate classes. 

Group Recorder Class  One hour class.  9 am - 10 am;
Nedra Bickham, instructor. Click for bio.     
$170 per semester
The recorder is an excellent instrument for children as an introduction to music making. It is a proven fact that learning a musical instrument enhances concentration and self-confidence. In this beginning recorder class, we will learn tone production and basic fingerings on the recorder as well as how to read music             and play by ear. This will enable us to play simple tunes as a group and as our class progresses we can expand to play duets, trios, and rounds. 

Choral Singing and Musicianship Class  One hour classes. 11 am - 12 pm;
Jeffrey Rawitsch (Click for bio) and Rebecca Sacks, instructors. Click for bio.
$150 per semester
Life's A Song, So Let's Sing!
Music is a lot of fun, but do you know what the big words mean that make songs "go"? Melody, Harmony, Rhythm... A Cappella? Come find out in the context of singing. Through the use of music from a variety of cultures and styles, we will explore how songs are formed and what they mean to people by singing them together - madrigals, folk songs, spirituals, chant, blues, show tunes, rock and roll, and even pop music of today! Along the way, we learn about music notation as well. But mostly, we will find songs we like and make music together!

(new class for second semester community music for 7-10 year olds)

Group Violin Class One hour classes. 11 am - 12 pm;
Elliot Cless (Click for bio), instructor
$170 per semester.

Beginning violin students will improve technically and musically in a group environment that fosters teamwork and encouragement. Each class will include time spent learning how to read music and a session on playing position in addition to practicing repertoire. Solo and duet material will be equally emphasized so that students learn how to play by themselves and with other musicians.

Classes for Middle and High School Students

African Drumming  One hour classes. 10 am – 11 am;
Ian Gendreau, instructor. Click for bio.
$250 per semester
Come and play traditional drumming music from Ghana, West Africa. In this class we will learn to play rhythms and sing songs from the Ga people of Ghana. We will also learn how to play hand drums, bells, rattles and other instruments of the Ga. Playing the music will also help us to understand the culture of the Ga people. You don't need previous drumming experience, you just need to be ready to have fun!

Chamber Music  One hour classes. 
$315 per semester   
Peter D'Elia and Elliot Cless (Click for bio), instructors
Musicians in small groups, playing one on a part, explore some of the greatest music ever written, with weekly coachings.  String quartets, piano trios, piano quartets, brass quintet, etc.

Composition Seminar  90 minute classes.  10 am - 11:30 am;
Michael McLaughlin, instructor. Click for bio.   
$420 per semester 
The Composition Seminar will provide the tools for students to create music by looking at various methods of organization, notation and the use of technology. It is designed to reflect the diversity of today's music environment by including the study of different world music traditions alongside the Western concert music tradition.

Introductory Course for Non-Classical Guitar One hour classes. 10 am - 11 am
Jerry Bussiere, instructor. Click for bio.
$220 for course (March 1 - June 1)
Students will be introduced to the fundamentals of the guitar as played with a plectrum
(pick), with an emphasis on reading music in standard notation.

Javanese Gamelan Ensemble  One hour classes. 10 am - 11 am, 11 am - 12 pm;
Barry Drummund, instructor. Click for bio.    
$280 per semester
Enroll to learn the music of the island of Java, Indonesia. Gamelan are orchestras consisting primarily of gongs, metallophones and other percussion instruments. Students will learn the different instruments while learning pieces of the traditional repertoire of the court cities of Surakarta and Yogyakarta. The music is at once beautiful, rich in texture, and immediately accessible to those experiencing it for the first time.

Music Theory One hour classes. 12 pm - 1 pm;
Rebecca Sacks, instructor. Click for bio.
$280 per semester
In this unique and exciting program, students will learn all the fundamental elements of music through singing, improvising on students, instruments, and composing. All of the elements of traditional music
theory will be covered, including notation, rhythm, harmony, scales and modes, melody and form. Ear training, conducting patterns and sight-reading will also be introduced. Beginning and intermediate
levels will be offered.

Jazz and Improvisational Music Ensemble  12 on - 1 pm, One hour classes.
$250 per semester.
In this class we'll work in performing and improvising mainly in the Jazz idiom, focusing on group interaction.
Music can be learned by ear (reading skills helpful but not a requisite). We'll work towards preparing a repertoire to be performed at the end of the term. Nando Michelin, instructor. Click for bio.  

Musical opportunities for Adult Musicians and Advanced High School Students

Chamber Music for Adult Chamber Musicians
Study and perform chamber works with the outstanding applied faculty at Tufts. The workshop will be eight weeks in length and include six 90-minute coached sessions, group rehearsals, and will culminate in a recital in Distler Recital Hall on June 7. Each group will work intensively with an experienced chamber music coach at a mutually agreed upon time. Groups for strings, woodwinds, brass, and piano will be formed based on experience and repertoire options. Pre-existing groups are also welcome. The fee for the workshop is $195.00. The deadline to sign up is April 14. This program is part of Community Music at Tufts. For more information or to arrange an audition, please contact Edith Auner at Edith.Auner@tufts.edu or 617.627.5616

Boston Village Gamelan
The Boston Village Gamelan (BVG), one of the first independent gamelan ensembles in America, was established in 1979 and has been in residence at Tufts University since 1994. The ensemble performs regularly in the New England area; its focus the traditional repertoire of Surakarta and Central Java. BVG rehearsals are open to the public and new participants are always welcome. For further information, contact Barry Drummond at barry.drummond@tufts.edu. Click for bio.    

Voice Class and Madrigal Choir for adults and advanced high school students. 
Thomas Gregg, instructor. Click for bio.
$250 per semester
Tuesday evenings at 7 pm for one hour.