White Plains, NY (August 20, 2009) – The Music Conservatory of Westchester will offer exciting programs in music, musical theatre, and music therapy this fall when their semester
begins September 12th. The Conservatory welcomes students of all ages, from young children to senior citizens.
“No matter what your musical interests or goals, the Conservatory has a program that‘s right for you,” says Jean Newton, Dean of Students and Faculty. “This fall we will offer expanded introductory group classes for young children in violin, cello, guitar, flute and piano, as well as new Music Skills classes for 2 and 3-year-olds. We also have expanded string quartet and composition programs. Our Rock Band program, new last fall, is going strong.”
Founded in 1929, the Music Conservatory of Westchester is the oldest and largest community arts school in a five-county region comprising Westchester, Rockland, Bronx, Putnam, and Fairfield counties. Today the Conservatory serves 3,700 students ranging in age from two to 87 years, representing more than 30 nationalities, and hailing from 102 communities in a five county area.
The 2009-2010 academic year marks the organization’s 80th anniversary. In recognition of this milestone, the Conservatory has a series of special events planned throughout the year. “Our 80th anniversary presents a wonderful opportunity to tell our story to the broader community, celebrate our past, and envision an even brighter future,” said Carol Shiffman, Executive Director. “Accomplished musicians have studied here, performed here, and taught here. Budding performers learn their craft here. We plan to celebrate with a number of events over this academic year beginning with a kick-off event on Saturday, Oct 3, 2009.”
Shiffman continues, “This is an exciting time for the Conservatory. Our dedication to lifelong learning in the arts means that we will continually strive to better respond to students’ interests, needs, and abilities. With our expanded programming for 2009-2010, we have done just that.”
Music and Musical Theatre Programs
The Conservatory offers individual lessons in all instruments and voice, provided by expert teachers experienced in working with students of all ages and skill levels. Each student receives an individualized curriculum based on his or her goals, needs, and rate of learning. Semi-private lessons are also available on some instruments for beginner-level students.
Music Theory and Music Skills classes are free for students taking individual lessons. A wide variety of classical, jazz, and rock ensembles, large and small, are offered for youth, teens, and adults. The vocal program includes, in addition to voice lesson, Sight-Singing, Acting for Singers, and two vocal ensembles. Young thespians can take the Youth or Teen Musical Theatre Workshop which includes acting, singing, and movement classes. Programs for young children include Music Skills, an active learning class that gives kids a fun introduction to the fundamentals of music, and Suzuki instruction in violin, cello, flute, and guitar that includes individual lessons and group classes.
Music Therapy
Music therapy addresses the physical, emotional, social and cognitive well being of children and adults with a wide variety of special needs. The Conservatory’s Music Therapy Institute is comprises an outreach program serving agencies in the community and an onsite program. Individualized music therapy programs, adapted instrumental and vocal instruction, group classes, and a family drum circle are available at the Conservatory’s fully accessible facility. The session rooms are equipped with one-way mirrors that allow family members to observe sessions in progress. All music therapy faculty hold master’s or doctoral degrees, are board certified, and are professional members of the American Music Therapy Association.
The Conservatory offers a variety of program packages as well as financial assistance for qualifying students. Registration is always open. For more information, please contact Jean
Newton, Dean of Students and Faculty, at (914) 761-3900 x112 or jean@musiced.org. The Conservatory is also seeking high-quality piano donations. Please contact Jon Chattman, Communications Manager, at jon@musiced.org for details on how to donate. The Music Conservatory of Westchester is located at 216 Central Avenue in White Plains, NY.
They can be reached at (914) 761-3900 or by visiting www.musicconservatory.org. Follow the Conservatory on Facebook (Westchester MusicConservatory) and Twitter (@MusicCW) for the latest news and updates.
About the Music Conservatory of Westchester
Founded in 1929, the Music Conservatory of Westchester (www.musicconservatory.org) is a non-profit community school of the arts, providing music, musical theatre education, and music therapy for people of all ages and abilities. The Conservatory’s 36,000-square-foot facility in White Plains offers a Recital Hall and 43 acoustically designed classrooms and teaching studios. Their comprehensive programs, which serve 3,700 students annually, include performing ensembles, musicianship classes, student performances, master classes, workshops, and more. All students receive free admission to the Conservatory’s annual series of faculty recitals and children’s concerts. This year, the Conservatory awarded $110,000 in scholarship support and tuition assistance to more than 115 of its students. The Conservatory is chartered by the New York State Board of Regents, a member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, and is one of only 19 non-degree granting institutions in the country to be fully accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music.
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