Join our Community
Berkshire Music School is growing, expanding, building, and evolving.
In 2004, there was an article in the Berkshire Eagle titled No rock, rap or pop here, which says, “Despite a shrinking Berkshire population, economic hard times, and the inroads of pop, the Wendell Avenue institution has 400 students, ranging in age from 3 months to 81 years and 30 teachers. They engage in a program that includes jazz and musical theater, but not rock, rap or pop.”
In the two decades plus since that article was written, it is safe to say, some things have certainly changed at this institution.
We hope to continue to change with the needs of our community. This means there is, indeed, rock, as can be found in our Youth Rock Band and Adult Rock Band community group classes, along with rap and the beats that go along with it from our friend Geoffrey Carter of BeatNest, and certainly pop is present with many of our students in voice lessons learning how to sing just that.
Community Collaboration
As we move forward with over eight decades of music education, we have established a strong desire to come together with other community members. We want to provide an experience that encompasses all of what the Berkshires has to offer in the Arts. As we build this network of community collaboration, we will build an empire of accessibility and opportunity.
The Future of BMS
While we may still be known has a school for the classically trained to some, we also know that we need to continue to be more than that. With the belief that the Arts should be available to everyone, we want to expand our reach even further. We can help achieve this by coming together with other organizations to become a strong community unit instead of individual pieces.
Our collaborations have provided heart warming experiences for our staff, faculty, students and families.
In April of 2025, we put together a performance with a number of faculty members and their students, which also brought back alum and Grammy-nominee Matt Cusson to the stage to perform.
In June of 2025, we joined forces with the Choices Mentoring Initiative, BeatNest, and the Albany-Berkshire Ballet. There was dancing, poetry, drumming, and a performance from our in house band.
In the summer of 2025, we hosted three camps, attended many events, and provided community group lessons throughout. During this time, we also set up an instrument petting zoo at various community events in the Berkshires, connecting with more and more families.
We want to collaborate with you.
Competition is out. Community is in. Working together, we can provide the greatest opportunities to our students, their families, our faculty, and to the community as a whole. Building this community takes organization and moving forward together and growing from what we have learned.
Join Us.
Together, we can keep Arts thriving in the Berkshires.
