NEWS

05.03 Rock Camp 2010 Is Coming!

Summer camp isn’t just about sitting around the campfire and trying to keep the mosquitoes out of your tent. Forget about the canoes and get ready to ROCK this summer!Fresh off their successful first year, Midcoast School Of Music is back on the charts (with a bullet), offering TWO sessions of Rock Camp this summer for all you aspiring superstars out there.

The first session will take place at our Bath campus Jul 12th through 16th and the second session at our Portland campus will be August 9th through 13th. Both camps will feature our fantastic staff of seasoned instructors who will be ready to pass along their experience and knowledge to eager campers both weeks. At the end of each camp, there will be a concert featuring all the bands showing off their new tricks!

Details about sign-ups will be coming soon. Don’t miss out on the best summer of your life!

05.03 Individual Music Theory Classes

Do you want to become a better soloist? Are you pursuing music as a college major or career? Just hungry to learn more about what makes music… music?

Well, then an excellent place to start is by gaining a firm grasp of music theory! We are currently offering private music theory lessons with one of Maine’s best teachers and arrangers, Anthony Marro. Currently, Anthony is the director of instrumental music at Morse High School in Bath, ME along with being an accomplished saxophone, flute, and clarinet player.

This is a rare opportunity to learn music theory in a one-on-one setting! Contact Anthony Marro for more details.

01.03 Conquer Rock Royalty With Our New Queen Ensemble

The Midcoast School of music is pleased to announce an ensemble dedicated to the music of Queen.

Those of you already familiar with this legendary band realize what an ambitious challenge this presents, vocally in particular. Consider the fact that “Bohemian Rhapsody” (perhaps their best known tune and one that reached #1 on the charts twice, 17 years apart, not to mention the prominent role this song played in the “Wayne’s World” movie) featured 160 vocal overdubs!

For those less familiar with the band, numerous artists past and present have credited Queen with significantly influencing their music. That diverse list runs the gamut from Kurt Cobain to Green Day, Iron Maiden to Radiohead, and Guns N’ Roses to Lady GaGa (whose name derives from the Queen song “Radio Gaga”).

The Guinness Book of World Records reported that Queen albums/CDs have spent 1,322 weeks—or 27 years—on the U.K. charts. The band released 18 number one albums/CDs, and 18 number one singles. Their total sales worldwide are estimated at over 300,000,000 units (albums/CDs). Continue reading →

22.02 Come See Takin’ It To The Streets & The Fab Fourteen @ The Venue on March 7th

Good news for lovers of music in general and lovers of The Beatles in particular! The Midcoast School of Music is proud to present an evening of music from our very own Takin’ It To The Streets and Fab Fourteen ensembles as they rock The Venue Music Bar & Bistro in Freeport, Maine. The show will benefit the Freeport Community Service Food Pantry with a $5 donation at the door – a small price for a great cause and some terrific music.

The show will be on Sunday March 7th from 5 – 9 pm – be sure to arrive early to get a good seat and enjoy a great meal at The Venue beforehand. Click here for driving directions and a map (the road isn’t that long or winding, just in case you were wondering).

Hope to see you there!

08.12 Catch Takin’ It To The Streets December 22nd!

Our very own Takin’ It To The Streets ensemble will be performing this coming December 22nd at The Frontier Cafe + Cinema + Gallery in Brunswick, Maine. Come out and enjoy a delicious dinner from the Frontier menu and a night of great funk and R&B music – all for a suggested $5 donation.

Proceeds will benefit Habitat For Humanity – a charitable organization that seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. To accomplish these goals, they invite people of all backgrounds, races and religions to build houses together in partnership with families in need. Since 1976, they have built over 350,000 houses around the world, providing more than 1.75 million people in 3,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter.

Doors open at 6 pm with a social hour, with music starting at 7 pm. The Frontier is located at 14 Main Street Mill 3 in Brunswick, Maine (click here to see a map and get driving directions). Advanced reservations are recommended as this show will fill up fast! Call 207-725-5222 for more information and save your spot today!

08.12 The Fab Fourteen – A New Ensemble

The last time John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison, and Ringo Starr recorded new music together was in 1970, but when The Beatles digitally remastered CDs were released this past September, along with The Beatles: Rock Band game, they shattered sales records around the world. The Midcoast School of Music invites you to learn what made this band so special.

We’re offering an ensemble class that will take our students on a journey to discover what put the “fab” in “Fab Four”. Experience the music, the magic, and the mystery as you become part of our “Fab Fourteen”, performing the best of The Beatles. This ensemble will be offered this Winter – sign up soon, because these spaces will fill up fast!

23.10 MCSM welcomes Johnny Venom to our teaching staff!

Johnny Venom has been immersed in music since childhood. His grandmother was an accomplished concert pianist and music teacher at Longy School of Music in Cambridge, MA and his mother is a flautist and music teacher in Maine. After studying piano as a youth he began playing guitar. In 2003 Venom received his Bachelors Degree in Contemporary Music Performance and Composition from the College Of Santa Fe in New Mexico. While in Santa Fe he fronted several different jazz, rock and fusion groups and continued his studies with private instruction from Bruce Dunlap (guitar) and Gary Willis (bass).

In 2006 Venom returned to Portland where he has become a bass player in high demand. Averaging nearly 200 gigs a year, he performs regularly with his own reggae group East Wave Radio which released their debut album “Soulful Noise” in April 2009. He also freelances for other Portland bands and is currently in the studio working on a new project as well as a follow-up for East Wave. In addition to electric bass, Venom plays guitar, upright bass, mandolin, piano and also sings.

Beyond Johnny Venom’s formal training, his busy performance schedule and experience as a full time working bass player and guitarist add an important focus to his teaching, giving his students the training and tools to excel not only in the classroom but in the real-world playing situations as well.

28.09 MCSM is now offering Turntable Lessons!!!

DerrickTrtbl2 The Midcoast School of Music is proud add Derrick Ramos to our teaching Staff! While at Berklee, Derrick met fellow turntablists who showed the same passion for scratching/mixing records. Joining forces with fellow DJs, under the guidance of Professor Stephen Webber, a leading authority on turntable education, Derrick helped to promote and showcase turntablism at Berklee.

His involvement in the Berklee turntable ensemble and the creation of the turntable club was influential in the addition of the Turntable Technique course in the spring of 2004. Berklee is the world’s first music college to incorporate the study of turntablism into its curriculum. Derrick is now bringing that same enthusiasm and love for the instrument to the our school!

11.09 Ensemble Information!

We are very excited to announce a second session of ensembles!

The goal of our school is to provide students with a comprehensive musical education at a fair price. While private music lessons are invaluable to students, they are only one part of the equation. They are meant to develop the musical knowledge and ability required to perform with other musicians; unfortunately not many students are fortunate enough to have the experience of playing in an ensemble. The Midcoast School of Music seeks to provide our students with this unique opportunity by offering a number of different options, depending on interest and need.

Each 90-minute ensemble program will run for a total of 8 weeks. In an attempt to make our groups as affordable as possible, the cost for each ensemble will be $120.00; which breaks down to $15.00 per session. Full payment is requested at the first class.

To insure we’re able to offer the highest level of instruction, we request that students sign up for any ensembles at least two weeks prior to the first scheduled meeting. This will allow the instructor sufficient time to plan for the group’s instrumentation.

03.05 Some Video Goodness

A few videos from Midcoast School Of Music teachers from the past couple years. First, we have some footage featuring Matt Fogg and Joe Farrel discussing the 2008 Bridge Music Festival on Portland’s local showcase, 207.

Next up, we have Alan Waxman, Matt Fogg, and Joe Farrell performing “Say You Will”, also on 207.

Enjoy!