On several occasions she was piano soloist with the former Pittsfield Symphony Orchestra and she was an incorporator of the Berkshire Symphonic Festival (now Tanglewood). But the effort most dear to Mrs. Crane was the founding of the Pittsfield Community Music School (now the Berkshire Music School). It is no mere coincidence that BMS was established at the same time as the Tanglewood Music Center (Tanglewood’s summer training institute).

As the School completes over sixty-five years of existence, we continue our mission of providing quality education in music, and musical opportunities to people in the greater Berkshire community, regardless of race, sex, religion, ethnic origin, age, or disability. We honor our founder’s legacy by continuing to grow and prosper, while turning no one away on account of inability to pay. Berkshire Music School is a member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts. The School is an equal opportunity employer and is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization.

History of BMS

The Pittsfield Community Music School opened its doors to 40 students in 1940, thanks to the philanthropy of Winnie Davis Long Crane. While the name evolved into the more inclusive Berkshire Music School in 2002, the original mission remains steadfast: “…to provide quality education in music and musical opportunities to people in the greater Berkshire community regardless of race, religion, ethnic origin, disability, age, or ability to pay.”

The School moved to its 1870 historic Pittsfield home in 1943. A carriage barn on this Wendell Avenue property was restored in 1996 to create a 90-seat recital hall and additional teaching studios. Mrs. Crane guided and served the Music School for 37 years. She and her husband, Bruce Crane, faithfully filled the annual gap between tuition income and operating expenses. Upon her death, Mrs. Crane generously bequeathed an endowment which continues to support the vision of the School today. Proceeds of this endowment do not meet the needs of BMS in 2008, nor did it provide for any depreciation and capital needs.

BMS Board of Trustees 2010-2011

• Anne Marcure,
  President
• Ethan Flynn,
  Vice President
• John Newell,
  Treasurer
• Elizabeth Avery,
  Secretary
• Lisa Sayman Butler
• Sarah Novak
• Ken Green
• Vickie Hornstein
• Lyndon Moors
• Paul Sundberg
• James Wojtaszek
• Tracy Wilson
  Executive Director

BMS Profile

• Berkshire Music School, a private, non-profit organization founded in 1940
• 450+ students taking weekly private lessons and chamber coachings over a 34-week school year.
• 10 summer camps for young people ages 6-18.
• 40 faculty members, 50% with Masters Degrees.
• Facilities open 60 hours a week for lessons and coaching, making BMS one of the busiest cultural facilities in downtown Pittsfield, includes 14 teaching studios and 90 seat recital hall.
• 12% of student body receives financial aid, work study or merit scholarships. No one is turned down for music lessons due to inability to pay. Annual Music Marathon supports financial aid and merit scholarships. $22,000 distributed last year.
• BMS alumni are attending Hartt School of Music, Juilliard, Eastman School of Music, New England Conservatory, Boston and Oberlin Conservatories. Twenty-four BMS students recently won positions in the Western Districts music competition, and 6 have recommendations to All-State.
• BMS boasts more than a 90% retention rate. 7 new instructors were hired in 2007 to accommodate growth.
• Off-site performances include events for the Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, Rotary Club of Pittsfield, Goodwill Industries, United Cerebral Palsy, Tanglewood, OLLI, Berkshire Visitors Bureau and nearly every assisted-living/senior center in Berkshire County.
• Grants awarded by Legacy Bank Foundation, Greylock Federal Credit Union, Berkshire Bank Foundation, Massachusetts Cultural Council, Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, Rotary Club of Pittsfield, United Way of Pittsfield and a number of other local cultural councils.
• BMS is an anchor in the Berkshire Creative Economy and an active member of Berkshire Chamber of Commerce, Downtown Inc. and Berkshire Visitors Bureau.
• Staff of 3 full-time and 3 part time, 10 member Governing Board, 15 member Advisory Board.

Berkshire Music School Mission Statement

The mission of the Berkshire Music School is to provide quality education in music and musical opportunities to people in the greater Berkshire community regardless of race, religion, ethnic origin, disability, age, or ability to pay. We are an independent, nonprofit organization. Full tuition covers only 55 percent of actual expenses. The rest comes from the community: local corporations and small businesses, board members, alumni, parents of students, and our students themselves, who raise scholarship money for others in the annual Marathon.

• Education: BFA Piano Performance, SUNY Buffalo
• Experience/Affiliations: Created the music department at The Academy at Swift River in Cummington; composer and musician for the Washington Performing Arts Society
• Special Interests: Active performer as a soloist, and in jazz ensembles throughout Western Massachusetts

DAVE BROWN, guitar

• Education: BA Jazz Performance, U-Mass, Amherst
• Experience/Affiliations:Showband musician with cruise line
• Special Interests: Active performer with a number of local bands and theatre productions

JACK BROWN, voice

• Education: BM, College of Wooster
• Experience/Affiliations: Faculty, The Hotchkiss School; Choir Director, Simons Rock and MCLA; Artistic Director Berkshire Lyric Theatre
• Special Interests: Bass-baritone soloist throughout the northeast and Canada

SHERRI JAMES BUXTON, voice

• Education: M.Ed, Cambridge College; BME, Indiana University
• Experience/Affiliations: Public school teacher; appeared on Broadway
• Special Interests: Professional cabaret singer

CAROLINA CARRY, choir

• Education: MA Music Composition, City University of New York; BM, Boston College
• Experience/Affiliations: Co-founder of D’Arte a Musica; worked in theater and national television
• Special Interests: Cantilena Chamber Choir; Saratoga Choral Festival; Organization of American Kodaly Educators

BILL CHAPMAN, Jazz Ensemble

• Education: MEd, BM, Westfield State College; studies with Billy Martin of Medeski, Martin and Wood
• Experience/Affiliations: Adjunct faculty, MCLA; endorses Noble & Cooley, Vic Firth Drumsticks
• Special Interests: Performs with Empire Brass, Charles Neville, John Medeski and other northeast groups

BETH CRAIG, cello

• Education: BS Performance, Mannes College of Music; MM Performance, Kent State University; major teachers-Claus Adam, Yehuda Hanani
• Experience/Affiliations: Teaching cello at Miss Hall’s, Indian Mountain School, Rudolph Steiner School, Hawthorne Valley School. Previously cellist with orchestras in Brazil, Ohio, and Pennsylvania
• Special Interests: Performer, composer for theater productions and small groups with jazz and improvisation focus.

OTHA DAY, drumming

• Education: MM Piano Performance, Piano Pedagogy, Music Education, Eastern Illinois University; private studies in African, Caribbeab and Japanese drumming.
• Experience/Affiliations: Adjuct faculty, Williams College; leads drumming workshops for corporations and groups; operates individual and group piano studios.
• Special Interests: Solo performer specializing in classical piano music of Black composers

AARON DEAN, saxophone, beginning clarinet

• Education: MEd, Westfield State
• Special Interests: Active performer with a number of local bands

OUISA FOHRHALTZ, violin, viola

• Education: MM, U-Mass, Amherst
• Experience/Affiliations: Suzuki instructor; violinist with Albany and Berkshire Symphonies
• Special Interests: violinist with Vivante Trio

JUDITH GRAY, voice

• Education: MM Voice Performance, University of Michigan
• Experience/Affiliations: Adjunct faculty at Smith College and The Berkshire School
• Special Interests: International soprano soloist performing oratorio, recital and orchestral works

DAVID GROVER, guitar, song writing

• Experience/Affiliations: Founder of the National Children’s Music Project; award winning singer/song writer with Emmy and Grammy nominations; performed at the White House; toured nationally with Arlo Guthrie; created several family music recording and videos
• Special Interests: David Grover and the Big Bear Band, performs regularly throughout the region

SUSAN HADFIELD, piano

• Education: MM Performance, N.E. Conservatory; BA, Mt. Holyoke College; performance certificate, Kodaly Institute
• Experience/Affiliations: Taught at Milton Academy and other private schools; member New England Piano Teachers Assn.
• Special Interests: Choral, & instrumental accompanist; adult students

SUZANNE HIGGINS, guitar

• Education: BA Classical Guitar, Florida State University
• Experience/Affiliations: Composer; Suzuki guitar instructor; taught at Simon’s Rock College and Stetson University
• Special Interests: Performs guitar, mandolin, and banjo

RAHIMA HOHLSTEIN, piano

• Education:DMA Piano and Theory, University of North Carolina; MM, The Boston Conservatory
• Experience/Affiliations: Taught music at The College of St. Rose, and University of North Carolina; College Music Society member and lecturer
• Special Interests: Soloist and ensemble performer

YELENA LEVINA, piano

• Education: USSR state certified, Nizhney Novgorod Pedagogical University and Music College
• Experience/Affiliations: Piano teacher Nizhney Novgorod, Bennington Music School, and Pittsfield High School
• Special Interests: Accompanist, private lessons in piano and theory

BING LIU, viola, violin

• Education: MA Viola Performance, Boston University; Central Conservatory of Music, Beijing
• Experience/Affiliations: Member of Suzuki Association of America
• Special Interests: International soloist and orchestral performer; member of Berkshire Trio

CHARLES MARSHALL, piano

• Education: BS, Music Education with Piano Concentration, Gordon College; graduate courses, Music Education, (Orff & Kodaly) Westminster Choir College
• Experience/Affiliations: Interim Choir Director/Organist First Congregational Church, Dalton; Founder, Director & Instructor of Marshall Arts Academy of Music; music instructor grades Pre-K-12
• Special Interests: Marshall Arts Entertainment

KATHLEEN MCDONALD SHEPARD, voice

• Education: MFA Vocal Performance, University of California
• Experience/Affiliations: Faculty member of Berkshire Community College and Windsor School of Music
• Special Interests: Performer and instructor in solo, opera and musical theatre

CHRISTINE MORTENSEN, French horn

• Education: MM Performance, UMass, Amherst; BME, Oberlin Conservatory
• Experience/Affiliations: Teacher at Northampton Community Music Center and Greenwood Music Camp
• Special Interests: Active performer; member of Berkshire Brass Quintet, principal horn of Connecticut River Valley Orchestra, and Da Camera Singers

JOANNE NELSON-UNCZUR, oboe

• Education: MM Performance, Cincinnati Conservatory; BME, Ithaca College
• Experience/Affiliations: Music teacher, public schools
• Special Interests: Active performer

ART NIEDECK, percussion

• Education: BM, Juilliard School of Music
• Experience/Affiliations: Percussion teacher, public schools
• Special Interests: Pittsfield City Jazz Board Member

CHRISTINE NOBLE-DROSEHN, voice

• Education: BA Vocal and Theatre Performance, Franklin Pierce College, NH
• Experience/Affiliations: Choral Director, Darrow School; repertoire performer, Hancock Shaker Village
• Special Interests: Active soloist; church choir

CHRIS OBERFIELD, piano

• Education: MEd, Westfield State College; BS, Indiana University of PA
• Experience/Affiliations: Retired music teacher, public schools; “Piano Kids” instructor; choir director, organist, soloist and accompanist for several churches
• Special Interests: Serves as organist, First Baptist Church, Pittsfield

CINDY OGULNICK, violin, viola

• Education: BME, Performance, SUNY Potsdam
• Experience/Affiliations: Teacher, public schools
• Special Interests: Member of Berkshire Symphony and Rosamund String Trio

ZAFER PONTER, bassoon, recorder

• Education: BA, Rowan University
• Experience/Affiliations: Principal bassoon with Sage City Symphony; member of Bennington Trio, Gramercy Quintet, and Taconic Consort
• Special Interests: Active freelance performer with area ensembles

SHARON POWERS, flute, recorder

• Education: BM Flute and Composition, Juilliard and Manhattan School of Music
• Experience/Affiliations: Flute instructor and orchestra director regionally and abroad in France and Bangkok
• Special Interests: Soloing with national orchestras

KARL RAUSCH, guitar

• Education: BM, Berklee College of Music
• Special Interests: Active recording artist and performer

AMY RENAK, piano

• Education: BA, Mary Washington College; graduate studies, Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford
• Experience/Affiliations: Faculty of BCC; Director of Music, Zion Evangelical Church
• Special Interests: Active performer and accompanist.; choir director and organist

TARI WHEELER ROOSA, flute, recorder, programs for young children

• Education: MME, University of Colorado; BM, University of Lowell; Suzuki and Early Childhood training
• Experience/Affiliations: Music instructor in MA, VT, and CO public schools; assistant conductor of the Eagles Band
• Special Interests: Active performer; flutist for Berkshire Children’s Chorus; Jovia Trio

HARRIET ROTHSTEIN, piano

• Education: MM, Temple University
• Experience/Affiliations: Taught piano for more than 25 years
• Special Interests: Professional collaborative pianist

DOUG SCHMOLZE, classical guitar, composition, voice

• Education: Studies at Berklee School of Music
• Experience/Affiliations: Certified Music Practitioner in the Music for Healing and Transition Program
• Special Interests: Soloist tenor and church choir member. Has performed with Berkshire Choral Festival, Berkshire Opera, Cantilena Chamber Choir and Crescendo Chorus of Lime Rock CT.

ALICE SPATZ, double bass, mandalin, theory / composition

• Education: MFA Composition, Bennington College; BA, New School for Social Research
• Experience/Affiliations: Published composer; co-author of a series of bass pedagogy books
• Special Interests: Active performer with the folk group “Wintergreen” ensemble; published composer

JEAN STACKHOUSE, piano

• Education: MM, University of Oklahoma; BM, De Pauw University
• Experience/Affiliations: Former faculty member of New England Conservatory and Westminster Choir College; founder of Piano Performance Seminars
• Special Interests: Active performer; contributor to “Keyboard Companion”

PAUL SUNDBERG, trumpet

• Education: BM, Oberlin Conservancy of Music
• Experience/Affiliations: Williams College trumpet instructor, brass ensemble director
• Special Interests: Founding member, Berkshire Brass Quintet; principal trumpet of Berkshire Symphony

PETE SWEENEY, percussion

• Education: Drummer’s Collective, NYC; studies with Joe Morello
• Experience/Affiliations: Faculty member of National Guitar Workshop and the Vic Firth Education Program author of “The Complete Drumset Method”
• Special interests: Jazz trio leader; member of Latin/Jazz group “Sensemaya”

NORMAN THIBODEAU, flute, orchestra

• Education: MM Flute and History of Music, Peabody Conservatory
• Experience/Affiliations: Served as assistant principal flute of the Orquest Sinfonica del Estado de Mexico
• Special Interests: Active conductor and composer

KRISTEN TUTTMAN, piano

• Education: BM, Vassar College; Hartt School of Music
• Experience/Affiliations: Instructor at Syracuse University, SUNY New Paltz, and Hartt School of Music
• Special Interests: Performer with Albany Symphony Orchestra and Eribeth Chamber Players

DAVID WAMPLER, trombone

• Education: MM, University of Nebraska
• Experience/Affiliations: Faculty member of College of St. Rose and Simon’s Rock
• Special Interests: Professional musician

ERIN M. WHITE, advanced clarinet

• Education: BME, Hartt School of Music, University of Hartford
• Experience/Affiliations: Teacher at Lee High School; taught band, choir, history and theory
• Special Interests: 1st Clarinet with Hartt Symphony Band

ALLA ZERNITSKAYA, violin, viola

• Education: MA Violin Performance, MA Education, Belorussina State Conservatory, USSR; BA State Musical College of Belorussia
• Experience/Affiliations: String program instructor for the Pittsfield public schools;former faculty member at Simon’s Rock College
• Special Interests: Violin workshops internationally