BandWorks Newsletter
Dear BandWorks Community,
Happy new year! We're off to a great start here at BandWorks, working on many new projects that will help improve the entire BandWorks experience, from online registration to offering more different kinds of classes, summer camps and more. We'd also like to welcome our newest co-Director, Phil Estes. Welcome, Phil! He's been working diligently with us on improving every aspect of our programs, and we're thrilled to have him on board.
Summer camps are now open for registration. We've got some great new offerings this year, including a Girls Rock! camp for just girls, as well as some new heavy metal and hip hop camp offerings. And we've simplified the summer schedule so you can find what you want much more easily. We've also got a great session currently underway, and we're anticipating a terrific show at the end of the month!
Rock On!
Jeremy, Steve & Alan
BandWorks Co-Directors
BANDWORKS NEWS
LIKE US ON FACEBOOK!
We've heard that social media is the way to go, so we're finally entering the 21st century and invite you to come along with us. We're regularly posting your gigs on our Facebook page, started a new blog, and have even started to "tweet"! Our goal is to be more interactive with you and help you know what's happening in the BandWorks community in a more immediate and engaging way. Once you "Like" us on Facebook, you'll be able to post your happenings on our page ... everything from your gigs, photos of your band(s), when you're going to a concert that other BW folks may want to attend, or when you just want to jam with some friends! Let us know what we can do to keep it worthwhile for you. Thanks for your support!
NEW ONE DAY CLINICS PLUS "UNPLUGGED" AND "HIP HOP" 8 WEEK WORKSHOPS
Many of our students have told us that as much as the love BandWorks Workshops, that given their hectic lives, they just can't fit an 8 week commitment into their lives. With that in mind, starting soon we'll be offering several 2 hour clinics throughout the year. Topics may include Improv Techniques, Guitar Effects, Music as a Business, Harmony Singing and more. In fact, we want you to tell us what other kinds of clinics you'd like to take. You can tell us by emailing julie@bandworks.com or post it on our Facebook page so your friends can "comment" if they want that topic, too!
Another exciting change is that we're now offering specific Oakland Workshops for kids who want to Unplug and/or do Hip Hop. Students in these bands will perform at the regular BandWorks show, but their music will definitely be something different than you've ever heard before at our concerts! For more information click here or email julie@bandworks.com.
CAZADERO PERFORMING ARTS FAMILY CAMP 2012 - A TRUE FAMILY VACATION!
BandWorks and Cazadero Performing Arts Family Camp share a lot, including teachers and students, but mostly we share ideals about how the arts can create and promote happy, healthy familes. We invite you to check out Cazadero's incredible summer program that really is a vacation for the entire family. Imagine a week of music, drama, writing, art, swimming, nightly performances, jam sessions and dancing, all in a rustic camp setting tucked beneath majestic, soaring redwoods in the heart of the Russian River Valley. Add to that feasting on fresh, local, and, whenever possible, organic food (that you don't have to shop for or cook!), then you really do have a true vacation for the whole family that everybody can enjoy on multiple levels.
Both BandWorks co-Directors Jeremy Steinkoler & Steve Gibson have taught at Cazadero many years, and will be continuing this year. Not only will you have the opportunity to get to know them better, but you'll also meet other talented, dedicated, supportive teachers ready to help you and your kids discover a wide range of classes in music and the expressive arts for all levels. Plus, evening programs include informal music jams, diverse performances, drama, contra dancing, campfire singing & s’mores, a teen party and more. To learn more about how your family can get a little slice of heaven on earth, contact Joelle: 510-658-3257, info@cazfamilycamp.org, or click here to visit the CAZ website.
MARIE SCHUMACHER PERFORMS WITH STEVE GIBSON FEB 4
Good BW friend (and Cazadero teacher!) Marie Schumacher will be performing songs from her newly released CD, Island Set Aflame, with BW co-Director Steve Gibson for 1 night only. Special guest Kevin Beadles will also perform an acoustic set! Don't miss this rare opportunity to hear Marie's warm, lush, heartfelt music live, as well as Kevin's fun and clever Americana rock 'n roll. See the "Gigs" section below for full details.
In the sad event that you can't make it to the show, you can hear her some of Marie's music directly from her website, and purchase her albums through CDBaby.com and on iTunes. Or, to order directly from Marie, please contact her at vox@marieschumacher.com.
STARRY PLOUGH YOUTH OPEN MIC NIGHTS CONTINUE!
The first Tuesday of every month is Youth Open Mic Night at the Starry Plough. Many BW students have already performed there ... and the Plough wants more! A great place to meet other families and creative people, this is an fun and supportive showcase for young performers in the Bay Area. Spoken word artists are welcome, too! Kids and teens who would like to help co-host or assist with technical duties are also encouraged to contact Kelleth. The next Youth Open Mic is Tuesday, Feb 7th, 6-8 pm. The Starry Plough is located at 3101 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley. To find out how your band can play or how you can participate in other ways, contact Kelleth at youthopenmic@me.com
STUDENTS ROCK FOUNDATION - ROCK TWO BENEFIT CONCERT - MARCH 21
Thanks to the Students Rock Foundation (SRF), last year many students got to participate in music programs who wouldn't have been able to! Thanks SRF! So, save the date for the 2nd Annual SRF benefit concert on Wednesday, March 21. The show will featuring several BandWorks luminaries. All profits go to the SRF scholarship fund and will be used to assist emerging musicians in need who wish to attend enrichment classes at the Berkeley Jazzschool, BandWorks, and the Freight & Salvage. For more information about the Students Rock Foundation, click here.
Important Dates
- BandWorks February Session
- Early Registration Discount deadline: Jan 23
- BandWorks Student Concerts
- Berkeley Student Concer - Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley
Sun, Jan 29, 1:00pm - 9:00pm - San Jose Student Concert - Musik Ink Studios Performance Space, 1177 W. San Carlos St., SJ
- Berkeley Student Concer - Ashkenaz, 1317 San Pablo Ave, Berkeley
- Students Rock Foundation Benefit Concert
- Wednesday, March 21
-
Sat, Jan 28, Time TBD
Community Spotlight
Parents' Perspective - Fran & Larry Harris - Son, Andrew Harris
We thought it'd be interesting to hear from parents about their experience as they watch their kids grow as people and evolve as musicians. One of BandWorks’ most engaged families has been the Harris Family. Fran and Larry's son Andrew has been on a musical odyssey since 4th grade, and we very excited about his continuing success. We checked in with Fran and Larry to hear from their perspective about Andrew’s journey as a musician in our community.
Now a graduate from Humboldt State with a BA in Music (and minor in Natural Resources), Andrew got his start as a 4th grader in public school in Berkeley with the opportunity to take up a musical instrument. He chose the clarinet and loved it. Fran and Larry were thrilled, and thankful for the opportunity. Until that point the family had only played recorded music or gone to rock concerts, but not played instruments themselves. Andrew’s love for playing was so overwhelming that he was almost too energetic for his classroom experience to contain his enthusiasm. After “begging” the teacher to allow Andrew to remain in the class, he began to learn how to contain his excitement, but still progress.
As Andrew’s focus and commitment grew, the Harris’ started discovering the musical community that had been unknown to them before, including BW friend Forrest’s Music, a local music shop in Berkeley. The good people at Forrest’s helped the Harris family figure out which clarinet to purchase, which teacher to study with, and other important tips to help Andrew continue learning and enjoying his instrument throughout middle and high school. In fact, upon graduation, he was awarded the Duke Ellington Music award from King Middle School for being their Outstanding Musician. In the meantime, Fran and Larry loved that he loved playing.
Once at Berkeley High, Andrew added saxophone to his repertoire. The Harrises couldn’t have been happier that their son continued to have opportunities in public school and supported him in all of his musical efforts, including chaperoning the pep band at sporting events, going to concerts, and helping to raise funds for special field trips and competitions.
Throughout this time, Andrew and his family also attended BandWorks and Cazadero Performing Arts Family Camp. Becoming involved in both organizations expanded their community of friends in ways they couldn’t have imagined when it all began. All they knew at the time was that they wanted to give their son more opportunities to explore music. As Andrew explored and developed musically, the family as a whole gained an entire community, from which they’ve each made several life-long friendships. To this day, not only does Andrew continue to connect with the friends he made through music, but his family does, too. As Fran notes, “BandWorks fosters multi-generational relationships – it’s not just the kids finding ways of getting together – but families, too. Our social circle has expanded and been enhanced. Our friends jam with the kids, and vice-versa. Even it if meant arranging for carpools, we had a connection with other families. The biggest benefit is that BandWorks and music have helped us, as a family, bridge the generational divide.” Larry believes that the multi-generational aspect has “helped Andrew relate better to people of all ages, so he can attract different ages to his bands and music.”
Fran also appreciates how music helped keep Andrew focused. “BandWorks also really helped Andrew decide that he wanted to pursue his passion of music, even in college. Instead of wasting time hanging out, Andrew spent his time trying to get together with his music friends to play music. He didn’t spend time playing video games and watching TV. He’d always be practicing for the next BW show.” Fran added, “He and friends still always practice and/or jam. He never just sits around.” She feels this is “so healthy, and gives him something productive and fun to do. We never had to push him. It was always his decision to get deeper and deeper into music.”
Another vital source of inspiration for Andrew has been the many incredible adult mentors throughout the years rooting for him. Starting with his Berkeley Unified music teachers and his first guitar teacher, Matt Heulitt (BW Teacher), some of his biggest fans have been the ones he’s learned from. Fran feels his “biggest” supporter and mentor has been BW co-Director Steve Gibson, Andrew’s long-time guitar teacher. Fran notes that even though Andrew is no longer taking lessons with Steve, he continues to take an active interest in Andrew’s development.
Those experiences made it that much easier for Andrew to explore the realm of professional music, knowing that there were musicians out there who don’t approach music from a competitive standpoint, but rather from one of support. Larry and Fran are especially happy about his current band, Dads LPs, which boasts a real “Who’s Who” of pros (Jay Seals, Chris Gene, John Morales), who’ve all taken a real interest in working with Andrew and help him to develop as a professional musician. As Larry says, “We’re very thankful that they’ve taken Andrew under their collective wings, and are his new mentors. Andrew knows he has so much to learn from others with a lot of experience, so it keeps learning fun … He realizes there’s always more to learn, and that there are great role models in his life.” Fran adds that, “like BandWorks, Dads LPs isn’t competitive. Because Andrew had the opportunity to learn in a non-competitive environment, he now knows how to be a team player. He knows it’s not just about him. It’s about writing beautiful licks and not just about shining the brightest all the time.”
Mostly, Larry and Fran are just so happy that Andrew’s doing what he wants to do, having fun and being successful at it. Everything else is gravy!
UPCOMING GIGS - STUDENTS, ALUMS & TEACHERS
Matthew Heulitt (BW Teacher)
Moetar
Sat, 1/14, 9pm - The Center Theater, 7630 S. Washington Ave, Whittier - $43-58
MCH Trio
Sat, 1/21, 8pm - Jupiter, 2181 Shattuck Ave, Berkeley - Free
Threat Level Orange (BW Students & Alums Bill Wright, Patty Huertas, and Julie Meyer,
plus BW co-Director Steve Gibson)
Sat, 1/21, 8pm - Kensington Pub, - FREE! All Ages
Jeremy Steinkoler & Steve Gibson (BW co-Directors)
Kevin Beadles Band
Sat, 1/28, 8pm - Winestyles, 11-B Town Square Place, Vacaville - $5, 21+
Steve Studebaker (BW Alum)
Blind to Reason
Fri, 1/13, 9pm - R Place, 2562 Old 1st St Livermore, CA
Fri, 1/20, 9pm - Wild Vine, 2187 1st Street Livermore, CA
Guitar Center Grand Opening!
In the Moment (Current BW Pro group: Brennan Jung, Brian Hernandez Hingerty,
Eli Marx-Kahn, and Owen Storey)
The Black Bones (BW Alums: PeleGreenberg, Benjamin Jackson and Alex Newell)
Thu, 2/2,5:30-7pm -
Guitar Center Grand Opening! 5925 Shellmound Street, Emeryville- FREE!
Steve Gibson (BW co-Director)
The Marie Schumacher Band & The Kevin Beadles Band (acoustic)
Sat 2/4, 8pm - Special set with Portland Singer-Songwriter Marie Schumacher, Subterranean Art House, 2179 Bancroft Way, Berkeley - $10, All Ages
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!
BandWorks Workshop Schedule
Register for Summer Camp
