Bloomingdale School of Music Celebrates 60 Years in Music Education

A beloved community music school has grown into a New York City institution over 6 decades of commitment to music education access.

NEW YORK, NY, UNITED STATES, November 7, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- On November 7th, 1964, the Bloomingdale School of Music was born with one simple mission, to make music education affordable for children in the Bloomingdale neighborhood. Starting humbly in a church basement, the school’s founder David Greer offered neighborhood children piano, string, and voice lessons for just 50 cents on Saturday mornings. The classes were popular and as enrollment grew, the school moved to its current location, a landmark brownstone on west 108th street.

Over the course of the past 60 years, offerings at Bloomingdale have expanded to include all ages from babies and toddlers to older adults. Classes, lessons, and ensembles are now offered on more than 20 instruments for beginners to conservatory prep. Programs and partnerships now take place at the beloved brownstone, as far away as the Bronx, and anywhere Bloomingdale can extend its reach to bring the joy of music to those who need it most.

While Bloomingdale has grown into a New York City institution for community music, its mission has remained true to its roots: to make quality music education accessible to all. This year alone, Bloomingdale will award over $320,000 in financial aid and scholarships, serve nearly 1000 students, and present more than 100 concerts and festivals that are free and open to the public.

In honor of the school’s 60th anniversary, Bloomingdale will present a full year of special events beginning with their 60th Birthday Concert in the David Greer Concert Hall, Friday, November 8th at 7pm. The concert features a tribute to Bebop Jazz Saxophonist Benny Golson with faculty members Eli Asher, trumpet and Michael Cochrane, piano; and guest artists Joe Ford, alto saxophone; Calvin Hill, bass; and Steve Johns, drums.​ The set will be followed by a reception with cake and light refreshments. Both the concert and reception are free and open to the public.
RSVP here: https://www.bsmny.org/event/a-tribute-to-benny-golson/
Visit https://www.bsmny.org/events/ for the full season of events.

A robust series of content detailing the school’s storied history will be released throughout the year as part of Bloomingdale’s Chapter 60 annual campaign. Visit https://www.bsmny.org/chapter60/ for alumni interviews, archival photos, and a timeline of historic events.

Noelle Barbera, Director of Marketing and Development
Bloomingdale School of Music
+1 212-663-6021
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