Brooklyn Conservatory of Music
- Park Slope
58 Seventh Ave. at Lincoln Place, Park Slope, Brooklyn , NY
See Map | Get Directions - bkcm.org
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Description
Founded in 1897, the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (BKCM) has been serving the New York musical community for over a century. Through our Community Music School division, we offer private and group instruction in every major instrument, as well as several teen and adult ensembles, and an early childhood music and learning program for kids ages 0-4 (and their caregivers!).
Our Suzuki division offers instruction in violin, viola, cello, guitar, piano, and bass using the Suzuki method, which is recognized worldwide as a highly effective approach for teaching children the language of music, and for encouraging parent-child bonding.
Our Music Partners and Music Therapy divisions bring music education programs and music therapy to schools, youth, senior and adult-support service centers, foster care agencies, and other community-based organizations. Throughout the year, BKCM presents concerts and community-wide events, including performances by our Community Orchestra and Chorale.
Reviews (18)
Review from the 2022 Summer Camp Survey
Name of program: Amy Winehouse Summer Jazz Camp Location: Brooklyn Conservatory of Music How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 10 Review: The camp formed into small ensembles, always with a drummer but with various sizes and instruments. My child was a vocalist, which they had never done before with an ensemble. I couldn't believe how good the performances were at the end of the week. Each group learned a few songs, and played them really well. Every instrument took a solo. Kids were of many different levels, from beginner to prodigy. But all the groups played really well, with such confidence and poise. Highly recommend! What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? Would you like to add anything related to COVID and how the camp handled it? BKCM is always very careful, in my experience.Brooklyn Conservatory Chorale
I'm so excited to share that the Brooklyn Conservatory Chorale is resuming in-person rehearsals in September. I've been a member since 2017 and it's a wonderful group of dedicated singers.Review from the 2021 Summer Camp Survey
Name of camp: Brooklyn Conservatory of Music: Piano Explorers Location: Park Slope How old was your child when they attended camp this summer? 6 Review: My son loved this intro week to piano and percussion. He was excited to come home and share what he learned. One of his fave parts of the day was when they read a story daily about community building and created a craft. I really liked that it appealed to many kinds of kids. We would definitely return!Iso: virtual beginner violin classes
BKCM is registering for their summer private lessons now, I think! Here's their summer stuff...you can scroll down to click on private lessons. Their instructors are amazing. https://bkcm.org/summer/Alternatives to music class & full time 2’s?
For those looking for a music class, we really like Mary Jo at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music and will be taking the Tuesday morning class at 9:20. They offer other kids music classes in other languages as well. https://bkcm.org/lessons-classes-ensembles/sing-and-play/Brooklyn Conservatory or other piano teachers?
My 5 year old had a really good experience with Shayna in the Piano Friends classes at the Conservatory. I haven’t wanted to commit to the whole year of private lessons, so aren’t continuing there at this time. I’d also love to hear other’s recommendations!ISO music class/ singalong for babies
There are great classes at Brooklyn Conservatory of Music, held in a big, lovely light-filled space: https://bkcm.org/lessons-classes-and-ensembles/ They'll pro-rate the classes if you start midway through the term...2018 Summer Camp Reviews
Age of child: 6 Summer 2018 Review: This music camp was focused on piano but really covered many aspects of music and movement. It was a wonderful camp for my kid who loves music and everyone seemed to have a lot of fun. The stuff was caring and confident and group not too big so children got some good attention. I was surprised how much progress they made in learning piano basics. I highly recommend it!Music classes for 4 year olds?
Our four-year-old has really been enjoying the "Instrument Explorers" class at The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. It's great for kids who have aged out of music together but aren't ready to learn an instrument yet. She also loves her teachers! The new semester starts soon.[PSPMusic&Musicians] question - private music class for 2 toddlers?
The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music is now offering classes for young ones... It's a great place.Review submitted via the 2016-2017 Afterschool and Extracurricular Survey
Specific program name: Suzuki Program Held: Both after school and at the weekend Review: The Suzuki Program at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music is amazing. The teachers are totally dedicated, including the Executive Director who is phenomenal. There is a solid sense of community among students and parents. Skills developed: Musical ability, reading music, partnership with other students. What would you change about the program, if anything, and why? No Age of child: 7 Based on an experience from the 2016-2017 school year(no subject)
We took a movement and music class there about a year ago with a teacher named Terry. She was a little much for me. She had very strict rules about what the kids could and couldn't do, they were 2 years old. The kids had fun and there was a lot of parent participation, but I didn't sign him up again. Maybe a different teacher would've been better"(no subject)
we tried out a class and ended up not doing the session. it was fine, but i didn't think it was worth the extra money and it didn't seem all that special. my girl who is 3 is already doing music together and i will enroll her in ballet soon and the class didn't really seem any different than any other class despite its description that it was based on different theories of music and movement(no subject)
We've been doing Suzuki violin since my now six year old was three. It is a big family commitment - no question about it. And it is very slow in the beginning - so much emphasis is placed on proper posture and the kid's relationship with the instrument. All the bowing and stuff - there isn't a lot of immediate gratification in Suzuki. That can be hard for kids, and for parents, as I can testify. I am a pretty casual person, and I'm not a musician, so there have been times when the thing keeping me going was just a reluctance to quit. But now, I can honestly say that I am very glad we've stuck with it. I've been told, and it does seem obvious, that piano is an easier choice for young kids - you don't have to worry about them learning difficult (unnatural!) postures, and the sounds coming out of the instrument are immediately pleasant... not to be underestimated! Anyway, I can tell you that my daughter has accomplished a lot in the Suzuki program. It was so slow in the beginning, but we weren't really applying ourselves, to tell you the truth. When we began to really practice daily, and build on every gain, and when she could see the progress herself, she was so proud. She enjoys playing in the group class, and admires the kids that are playing beyond her. She wants to play what they are playing. You can't beat that. Sometimes, the slow, difficult way is good, and I think it has been good for us. I also have to say, I love our teacher. She's patient where I am not, and my daughter adores her. She's been with us for three years - it's a good relationship for my daughter to have with another adult.(no subject)
I'm not sure about the current management but when my daughter was 3.5, she was in the Guitar program there. It was the hardest thing we have ever done. Maybe because we picked the wrong instrument but the teacher did not know how to handle small children. He spent over 2 months concentrating on getting the kids to do the step of bowing, sitting, and holding the guitar. And another 4-5 months to get the kids to play Twinkle Twinkle Little Star only on the right hand. It was crazy and my daughter was so bored. The new teacher was much more fun but it's too late. My daughter (and us) was already turned off by it. We stuck to the end but didn't go back the next year. It was stressful. Overall though, I felt that the program was out of our comfort zone. it require a lot of commitment and dedication from both parents and children. I mean, we didn't have time for anything else. Our lives (and all of our Sundays) were Suzuki. The private lesson, group lesson, theory, parent class, parent meeting.. Just too tiring. This was just from my own experience. I saw some kids who did well (one out of 6 in our class and some in other classes). It's just not for us.(no subject)
I have two sons in the Suzuki program at the Brooklyn Conservatory (one piano, one cello). The director of the program changed about 3 years ago, so hopefully the specific guitar issues that Anch raised have been resolved. We are very familiar with the current head of the guitar section, as she teaches some general theory classes, and she seems like an incredible teacher. I agree with Anch's description of the Suzuki program as being very time consuming and requiring a lot of commitment from both parents and children. I sometimes joke that Suzuki is not a program, it's a way of life! That having been said, we love the program. My sons are thriving muscially and both we and they really like the community that we're a part of via Suzuki. I would recommend that anyone who is interested attend one of the information sessions that the program offers --- and do some reading on the pros and cons of this approach. It's certainly not for every child or every family, but it is great with the right fit.(no subject)
Both my children are in Suzuki at the Conservatory; I note that there are two aspects to the question: (1) How do I like the program at the Conservatory and (2) How do I feel about Suzuki in general? Addressing the first: I pretty much like it the way they run it, at least currently. Until 2 years ago the program was abysmally run. We never would have continued had the management not changed. The current Suzuki director strikes me as a talented, energetic and sincere pedagogue who loves music and teaching. There are still a few occasional glitches, but she's made a lot out of the mess she inherited. The teachers at the Conservatory range in quality, and we've experienced that range: from really good to god-awful. We had a god-awful one for cello theory a couple of years ago, and the parents pretty much started boycotting that class-- which is very "un-Suzuki"-- Suzuki emphasizes commitment and dedication to all details. the BCM program is flexible and try to serve the parents and students. So my son's excellent cello teacher lets him read music in the standard way. And despite what I said about the parents' class, it seems to me that the instructor kept the Suzuki readings to a minimum. In the last analysis, the program as such is pretty good, as long as you can devote the time. And if ultimately you decide it's not for you, you can transition to a more traditional private lesson (which the Conservator offers) after your child is a little older. They start the traditional private lessons later, around age 6.(no subject)
Hi, Jenna (and others)-- Both of my sons (now 6 and almost 3) have been taking classes at the Conservatory for the past two years, and it has been a wonderful experience. Many people on the board have been commenting on the Suzuki program-- we didn't do that so I can't comment. But the Music Adventures series is fantastic. The kids learn rhythm, music theory, movement, pitch, and have a great time doing it. My six year old aged out of the program and is now taking Theory Games and Children's Chorus: he loves them both. The little guy looks forward to his classes all week, and pretends to call "Miss Norda," his much-loved teacher, on his toy phone every night. Indeed, Miss Norda (along with the other dedicated teachers) is really reason enough to take the class. She is a treasure-- warm, loving, patient with little kids, and so talented to boot. The kids light up the minute they see her. The Conservatory generally lets you "audit' a class for free to see if you like it-- I highly recommend you do so!
