Take note • Island Music Guild to begin music classes

Island Music Guild has developed a reputation as a valuable resource for budding musicians and music lovers, offering a wide variety of private lessons and community concerts at the Guild Hall on Bainbridge Island. With the start of a new year the IMG is set to launch a new venture, the Island Community Music Academy, a series of classes designed around the needs and wants of Kitsap music “apprecianados” of all sorts.

Island Music Guild has developed a reputation as a valuable resource for budding musicians and music lovers, offering a wide variety of private lessons and community concerts at the Guild Hall on Bainbridge Island.

With the start of a new year the IMG is set to launch a new venture, the Island Community Music Academy, a series of classes designed around the needs and wants of Kitsap music “apprecianados” of all sorts.

The classes, which begin in early January, will cover music theory, music appreciation, applied music and ensembles.

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Dave Bristow, IMG director, said one function of the classes is to augment music classes taught at the junior high and high school levels.

“We felt we could offer evening classes to help young people who wanted to pursue music courses (at the college level),” he said.

The music theory class is a first year college class, Bristow said, and will better equip students to transition to college.

The classes will be taught by instructors with solid music credentials, and upon completion of a series of classes participants will be awarded an ICMA certificate.

Bristow said while the certificate won’t carry any academic weight, it is far from meaningless.

“It’s internally satisfying,” he said. “In the big, wide world it may be meaningless, but it still means something.”

Awarding of the certificates will also give IMG a record of success to take to colleges when the organization applies to be an accredited school, meaning credits earned there will be transferable to colleges.

“Accreditation is the target,” Bristow said.

The two-hour classes will be held every Tuesday evening beginning Jan. 9 and continuing for 10 weeks, through March 27. The classes are open to students of all ages, although some require prior music skills. Check the schedule for specifics.

Beginning Music Theory will teach music basics, such as intervals, modes and scales, rhythm and basic triads.

It will be taught by IMG President Alan Simcoe, who has a degree in music from University of Oregon and taught music theory classes at Central Oregon Community College for 15 years before moving to Bainbridge Island where he opened Village Music. He is also a luthier, creating handmade guitars and early music instruments.

Middle Ages to the 21st Century is an introduction to the evolution and development of musical design. The class includes in-class listening, discussion and seminars dealing with specific periods, formal design, aesthetics and composers.

It will be taught by James Cauther, who holds a master’s in music and teaches world music, jazz history and music history at Seattle Central College.

Music Production with Computers is just that, producing music using a variety of methods. By the end of the course students will be able to produce a professional live recording with some post-production and an audio CD.

It will be taught by Bristow, who is an internationally recognized electronic sound designer. He toured for many years, lecturing on synthesis and acoustics, and has written a book on FM synthesis with a Stanford University professor.

As well as being an opportunity to learn jazz, salsa and group guitar, participants in the music ensemble classes will be considered for an international musician exchange program which IMG plans to implement in 2008.

“These students will be the core of that group,” Bristow said.

The three groups are Youth Jazz Combo, Youth Salsa Band and Guitar Ensemble.

Anne Pell leads the jazz combo class. She has a master’s in music from Cornish College of the Arts in Seattle and has taught piano for more than 10 years on Bainbridge, as well as accompanying the Bainbridge Choral. She also has her own performing jazz trio.

The salsa band class will be lead by Simcoe and Ian Turner.

Turner is a professional percussionist and makes a special study of latin rhythm, instruments and playing techniques.

The Guitar Ensemble will be lead by Justin Davis, who has a bachelor’s in music from Central Washington University and is a career guitar instructor. He travels overseas when he can to learn from old world guitar masters.

Cost for each of the classes is $145, which Bristow said was comparable to local community classes. Those who register before Christmas can save $20.

The classes will run regardless of how few people sign up for these initial offerings. The instructors have agreed to forego their fees if tuition does not cover them.

“We are determined to run and establish the program” Bristow said.

For information on the classes and registration visit www.islandmusic.org or call (206) 780-6911.

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