BAAMS Holding its 7th Summer Jazz Day Camp

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. —  Each summer, a group of master musicians assembles in North Adams at The Berkshires' Academy for Advanced Musical Studies (BAAMS) to offer the region's youth ages 12 to 18 a full week of learning.

This year, Berkshire County musicians ages 12-18 will have the chance to study and play with some of the world’s finest musicians, including NBC's "Saturday Night Live" Band saxophonist and Juilliard faculty member, Ron Blake, guitar master Rodney Jones, along with two master drummer percussionists, Mino Cinelu and Kenwood Dennard.

Both drummers are former members of the bands of Sting, Jaco Pastorious, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter.

This year's camp takes place from July 14 through the 18.

The 7th Berkshires' Summer Jazz Band Day Camp takes place each summer, with five days of learning everything from music theory, ear training, how to compose, how to improvise, how to honor one's musical voice, and work with others to create performances of original work. Students come from around Berkshire County, with the highest concentration of attendees from the Northern Berkshires, but also from as far away as Lee, Stockbridge, Boston and Cambridge, New York City, and central Vermont.

"Next week’s camp is a huge opportunity for area young musicians and will help inspire and even transform their current playing levels. If you are 12-18 and play the saxophone or woodwinds, trumpet, guitar, or the drums, this is the place to be this summer," said Richard Boulger, Founder and Executive Director. He added, "You don’t have to have a lot of experience playing, or you can be an advanced player — with any level, our faculty will help each of our students have success in their musical growth and have fun doing it!"

Students will be playing a few select jazz standards on which they will learn how to improvise, as well as compose their own original music.

There are still a few slots left for selected instruments, and scholarships are being offered for qualifying families. Click here to register for Jazz Camp: berkshiresacademyams.org/berkshires-summer-jazz-day-camp 

During the week, with all musicians in town at one time, BAAMS is offering a once-a-year opportunity for music lovers to hear their BAAMS LEGACY BAND perform live on Wednesday, July 16, at Studio 9 at the Porches' Inn, North Adams. Some students will be asked to sit in with the band. Tickets are available via the venue's website at this link: https://studio9porches.com/performance/studio-9-presents-baams-faculty-concert/

This show, with a theme of HOMECOMING, is being given as a fundraiser in support of the week-long music camp.

There will be another performance at the  Adams Theater, 27 Park St., Adams, MA, on Friday, July 18, starting at 7:00 PM. The show runs from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM and features the BAAMS LEGACY BAND immediately following the student performance for family and friends at 5:30 PM. This event caps off the week, held in the same space where the band performed for BAAMS' Third Anniversary in May 2023.

Tickets are available here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/baams-legacy-band-in-concert-tickets-1468055155489?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Clarksburg Students Write in Support of Rural School Aid

By Tammy DanielsiBerkshires Staff
07:25AM / Sunday, March 15, 2026

Mason Langenback calculated that Clarksburg would get almost $1 million if the $60 million was allocated equally.

CLARKSBURG, Mass. — Eighth-graders at Clarksburg School took a lesson in civic advocacy this week, researching school funding and writing letters to Beacon Hill that call for fully funding rural school aid. 

 

The students focused on the hardships for small rural schools and their importance to the community — that they struggle with limited funding and teacher shortages, but offer safe and supportive spaces for learning and are a hub for community connections.

 

"They all address the main issue, the funding for rural schools, and how there's a gap, and there's the $4 million gap this year, and then it's about the $40 million next year, and that rural schools need that equitable funding," said social studies teacher Mark Karhan.

 

A rural schools report in 2022 found smaller school districts cost from nearly 17 percent to 23 percent more to operate, and recommended "at least" $60 million be appropriated annually for rural school aid. 

 

Gov. Maura Healey has filed for more Chapter 70 school aid, but that often is little help to small rural schools with declining or static enrollment. For fiscal 2027, she's budgeted $20 million for rural schools, up from around $13 million this year but still far below the hoped for $60 million. 

 

Karhan said the class was broken into four groups and the students were provided a submission letter from Rural Schools Advocacy. The students used the first paragraph, which laid out the funding facts, and then did research and wrote their own letters. 

 

They will submit those with a school picture to the governor.