BandWorks Newsletter
Dear BandWorks Community,
This summer we are incredibly fortunate to have assembled one of the finest staff of music teachers we've ever had teaching at our summer camps. Though we have always carefully selected our teachers from a vast pool of Bay Area musicians and educators and train them in the BandWorks method of teaching, we have gotten such incredibly positive feedback about our staff this year that we feel we have surpassed even our own expectations for the quality of our faculty. We are so grateful to all of our teachers for their commitment to working with kids and dedication to teaching music. They are truly excellent role models for our young kids today as they grow and learn to develop their skills, and work with others toward a common goal.
We'd like to take this opportunity to thank all of our teachers for the incredible job they do. Their job is the core of our program, and we recognize the tremendous contribution they make both to BandWorks and to the community at large. You Rock.
Jeremy, Steve & Alan
BandWorks Co-Directors
BANDWORKS NEWS
PIEDMONT PARADE - BandWorks Rocked 'Em!
Thank you to all the folks who came out and rocked Piedmont with BandWorks on July 4th! In our first-ever parade band we had over 20 kids and adults rock Piedmont with 5 Beatles songs, 2 Green Day tunes, and "We Will Rock You." It was a ton of fun, and we're looking forward to other parades in the future ... stay posted!
VIDEO PRODUCER NEEDED
Are you a videographer or video producer? Know anyone who is? We are interested in creating a high-quality short promotional video about BandWorks that captures the essence of the programs we offer. We're especially interested in trade for BandWorks programs, but some compensation is available. Please contact us at info@bandworks.com for details.
NEW STUDIO LOCATIONS - San Francisco & Walnut Creek
We're thrilled to let you know that starting in September we'll be offering our full year-round workshop program in both Walnut Creek & San Francisco. In fact, in San Francisco, there'll be two locations for us to work with. And this also marks the beginning of a new relationship for us with the Jewish Community Centers in both San Francisco and Walnut Creek, because we'll be offering BandWorks on their sites.
Additionally, we will continue to be offering workshops in some of our newer locations in San Jose, San Carlos, and at Sunnbolt in San Rafael. We couldn't be happier! For complete addresses for all our locations, click here.
EAST BAY EXPRESS PARTY - Come to the Party Aug. 6th!
BandWorks has won "best summer camp" two years in a row, and has been invited to participate again in this year's party celebrating all the Best of the East Bay winners at Jack London Square. BandWorks Pro groups The Vat and Room 19 will be performing and we'll be there to rock out with them. It's free, and always a great time. All the details are below in our "Gigs" & "Important Dates" sections. Hope to see you there!
Important Dates
- East Bay Express "Best of Party", Friday, August 6, 5p-10p, Jack London Square - FREE
- Solano Stroll, Sunday, September 12, 12p til Dusk - BandWorks Bands perform throughout the day - FREE
- September Workshop Starts - Early Registration Deadline: Aug. 30 - Session starts the week of September 13
- Ariel's Birthday - September 12!
COMMUNITY SPOTLIGHT
Ari Chersky, BandWorks Teacher and Alum
Few BandWorks teachers have had the experience of participating in BandWorks themselves as younger students. Ari Chersky had the unique experience of participating in BandWorks as a teenager, and committing himself to a lifelong pursuit of music at a young age. Since going off to pursue a music degree and a career as a guitarist, he has returned to BandWorks to become one of our most-loved summer camp teachers.
Ari started playing guitar in middle school when he was about 12, and took private lessons with BandWorks Co-Director, Steve Gibson. With Steve's encouragement, Ari discovered BandWorks and started taking classes with other young musicians he’d never met before. Through that experience, Ari gained the confidence to recruit some of his other friends to play music together in BandWorks. After a couple of years they learned how to play on their own without adult supervision, and were soon making their own music and playing gigs.
Ari continued his private lessons, and with a lot of discipline and hard work, eventually made the transition from student to teacher. In 2007, directly after graduating high school, Ari worked as a Teaching Assistant with BandWorks for the first time. He received such rave reviews and demonstrated such great teaching and leadership skills that BandWorks decided to make him a full-fledged teacher in the fall. He has continued teaching summer camps (when he's been back on break from music school) every summer since.
After taking a year off after high school, Ari was accepted into the acclaimed New School for Jazz & Contemporary Music Conservatory in New York City. Ari says his BandWorks experiences “definitely helped me understand the socialization aspect of music – how to interact with others in a musical setting,” and that BandWorks “bridges the gap between playing alone in your room & playing music together with others.” He also feels that all the practice he had playing in public made the audition process way less stressful.
Whenever Ari’s back home in the Bay Area, in addition to gigging, he also does as much teaching as he can, whether with BandWorks or with private students. He feels teaching keeps his NYC experiences in perspective. He says, “teaching young kids reminds me not to get too caught up in the seriousness and competition, and gives balance to what it’s really about: just having fun playing music together.”
Once Ari finishes his degree from the New School, he may stay in New York to continue to play with other great musicians and teach, or travel the world playing and creating music for ever-wider audiences. Overall, he now has a pool of like-minded, musical friends that makes it possible to do a variety of gigs anywhere with any type of instrumentation, which has opened up the potential to create exciting, new music wherever he goes.
Ari’s gone from just wanting to learn some Green Day songs as a teenager to playing all around New York City with some notable jazz heavyweights. We're very proud to have Ari on our staff and are in awe of what he has been able to accomplish musically in just a short few years. We look forward to hearing all about his great achievements and adventures as his career takes off.
UPCOMING GIGS - STUDENTS, ALUMS & TEACHERS
East Bay Express Best of the East Bay Party - Jack London Square
Fri, 8/6, Jack London Square, All ages welcome, FREE
The Vat (Students: Emma Asta-Dudley, Fianna O'Brien, Isabel Capili, Keenan King, Maria Siino, and Max Cameron), 7-7:45p
Room 19 (Students: Adam Lang, Ben Yasemsky, Benjamin Zell, Graeme Greenwood ), 8-8:45p
Solano Stroll - Various BandWorks Bands
Sun, 9/12 from 1pm - FREE
The Vat (Students: Emma Asta-Dudley, Fianna O'Brien, Isabel Capili, Keenan King, Maria Siino, and Max Cameron) 3p-4p
Room 19 (Students: Adam Lang, Ben Yasemsky, Benjamin Zell, Graeme Greenwood) 5p-6p
Other bands to be announced
Room 19 Additional Gig:
Sun, September 19, El Sobrante Stroll, San Pablo Dam Rd at El Portal. FREE
Lisa Sniderman (Alum)
Aoede
Sun, 8/29, 12p-3:30p, Acoustic set at Del Monte Square,
Cannery Courtyard, 2801 Leavenworth St, SF
Jeremy Steinkoler and Steve Gibson (Co-Directors)
Kevin Beadles Band
Sun, 8/29, 3p-6p, Benefit for Contra Costa's Regional Medical Center Hospital Auxillary
at Armando's, $10 cover (every cent goes to the Auxiliary),
707 Marina Vista, Martinez, 925-228-6985
Veronika Safarova (Former Staff)
Valerie Orth Band
Sat, 8/28, CD Release Party, Slims, 333 - 11th St., San Francisco, All Ages,
Doors open 8pm, $15
GOT GIGS?
Share your musical milestones! Now that we're sending a monthly newsletter, we want to post your gigs. Send us a note by the last Wednesday of each month, and we'll announce your gigs in the newsletter. Send your gig info to gigs@bandworks.com. Please use the format below:
Your Name
Name of Your Band – (band website, too)
Day, Date @ Time - Venue, Address (website, too, if available)
Admission policy, if applicable
We can't wait to hear what you're up to!
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