Hello BeatNest family and happy August! I was expecting this summer to be more relaxed than the school year, but why would I think that when there are so many eager kids trying to learn how to make beats? I thought many of my regular students would want to take a break during the summer months but most just wanted to keep coming back for more, and are even signed up to participate in our first summer camp taking place the week of August 19th – 23rd!
Speaking of summer camp, it has been non-stop planning since I first decided to go ahead with it, but I am extremely excited and I know that it is going to be a major success! We have eight amazing kids participating this year which is the perfect number for the staff to manage and for the students to have a fulfilling and engaging experience. There are so many great activities planned, including a guest teacher, Jackson Whalan, who is going to be teaching a class on freestyle rapping for our songwriting day. Jackson is a professional musician from the Berkshires who not only has real music industry experience with touring, but also teaching kids and adults alike. I am looking forward to him coming in!
I am also going to have the pleasure of working with my eldest student, Kyra who is going to be my intern for the week. Kyra has shown tremendous strides at BeatNest, volunteering her time to help me at public events around the Berkshires (First Fridays, Berkshire Busk) where BeatNest has made appearances and provided interactive music experiences for the local youth. Not only does she (sometimes) get to perform for an audience in an informal setting, but It also gives her the opportunity to promote herself and her music! She is growing her YouTube channel where she uploads many of the songs that we have worked on at BeatNest.
In addition to BeatNest Camp, there have been a few other workshops taking place this summer that have been extremely successful. Earlier in June, I participated in the Adventures in Music Camp at Berkshire Music School for the second year in a row. This camp has me working with the younger population of students (5 – 8 years old) which poses as a challenge but is rewarding nonetheless! Recently, I did a workshop for older students called “Electronic Performance Skills” which was all about performing live with music technology. It being the first time I have done this class, I am extremely happy with how it turned out. The kids were inspiring, passionate and enthusiastic which makes all the different for the teacher. Also, I dropped in at Pine Cobble School up in Williamstown for one day during their music week at their summer camp for a quick intro activity. I was so happy to make the connection at a school that emphasizes the arts so much, and they plan to have me come back during the school year!
As I am gearing up for fall, I am beginning to fill out my schedule with students who will take classes after school and on the weekends. I am going to be available for extra hours this year, due to an increased amount of interested families, so I would encourage those who would like to sign up, to do so as soon as they can! I am tremendously excited for the fall because I am going to have some new kids who will get to perform in the next student showcase taking place in the winter. I am also going to be expanding BeatNest’s offering to be more accessible, but that is all I am at liberty to say about that now!
Click here to sign up for the fall!
– Geoffrey
