January News of Note

Happy New Year to All! 
​

While the health and safety of our students, faculty, and staff are our primary concern, learning and making music together, has been a vital part of our community’s recovery from the pandemic. Finding the balance between safety and being together DSM continues to hold lessons in person for those families who are comfortable continuing this practice.

To help us all stay safe, surgical or KN95 masks are required for all lessons. Hand sanitizer is available to be used before starting lessons and each teaching room has an air purifier with a HEPA 13 rating.  Thank you for your cooperation with these requirements. 

Our Heartfelt Thanks To:

• Dedham Savings, our new recital sponsor! 
  
• Needham Bank, for their generous donation of $2,500 for the Harmony Fund for financial aid!
  
• All those who made year end donations to the school.  It is not too late to send a donation to our Annual Appeal.  Your generosity helps us keep the cost of lessons down, bring music to Dedham and the surrounding communities, and supports music making for people of all ages, abilities and means.
  
  
  Donate Here
  

“Drum Circle” led by Percussion Faculty Steph Davis
Drum Circles offer us the opportunity to feel and play rhythm in a collaborative environment. During 7 weekly sessions, students will explore hand-drums, bucket drums, auxiliary percussion, and body percussion. Sessions will focus on time/rhythm, ensemble playing, and improvisation. No prior experience playing percussion is necessary. Cost is $100 for the 7 week session which runs from January 22nd - March 12th. Classes meet on Saturdays at 10:00 a.m. at the Dedham Community House.

Note: There will be no class on Saturday February 19th due to February break. Snow make up date is March 19th.​ ​Register today at info@dedhamschoolofmusic.org

“Introduction to Contemporary Classical Music” led by Percussion faculty Steph Davis This class will focus on music written in the 20th and 21st centuries. Through listening, guided analysis, and group discussions, students will gain an appreciation for the classical music of our time. This class is intended for anyone interested in exploring contemporary music in a collaborative setting. On Zoom Thursday Evenings. 7:30-8:30pm. 6 week session Fee: $100  Class will start on Thursday Jan 27th. Register today at info@dedhamschoolofmusic.org

"Collaborative Piano Sessions"
Book an individual session or two or more with a professional accompanist. DSM piano faculty will collaborate with you in these private 60-minute sessions. Perfect for instrumentalists and singers. For individuals looking to make music with other, create an audition recording, or explore duet and chamber music repertoire.
Book as many sessions as you need. 
Cost: $110 per session

If interested, please email info@dedhamschoolofmusic.org. 

Bluegrass Jams
The next Bluegrass Jam will be Monday February 14th at Dedham Community House, 671 High St, Dedham.  Come to jam at 7pm  in Haven Hall on the first floor.  Note: This is a change of location.

Dedham Community Band was thrilled to kick off the holiday season for shoppers at University Station as well as performing at the tree-lighting ceremony in Dedham Square.

Come join the band which rehearses Thursday evenings at Dedham Community House. See the website or contact the office info@dedhamschoolofmusic.org for more information.

If you missed a lesson last term, you can schedule a make-up session between January 11-24th. Even if you didn’t miss a lesson, you can still add an extra lesson(s) before the new term starts. Contact the office at info@dedhamschoolofmusic.org to set either of these up.
 The DSM winter term 2 starts January 25th.  Please tell your friends!  We accept new registrations throughout the year.

Want to play some jazz?    We are planning to have a jazz band on Thursdays at 3:30 pm this spring.  Please send an email to our Executive Director, Jody Pongratz (jpongratz@dedhamschoolofmusic.org) if you are interested in joining the jazz band under the direction of our winds instructor Zack Bacak.

Welcome to our newest faculty member Katie Jillson:

Katie is a seasoned voice and piano teacher, with experience in multiple genres and with all age levels. She teaches singers to use the most organic, tension free technique possible to discover their authentic
voice, musicality, and self-expression. Her students have excelled in auditions, solo performances, intensive vocal study programs and competitions. 

A versatile singer herself, she has been delighting audiences for over two decades. She has performed as soloist in Handel’s Messiah, Bernstein’s
Chichester Psalms, Bach's St. Matthew Passion, Poulenc’s Stabat Mater,
Schubert’s Der Hirt auf dem Felsen and Mozart’s Requiem. She has sung
with Masterworks Chorale, the Paul Madore Chorale, Boston
Cecilia, Zensemble and The Down East Singers in Thomaston,
Maine. Katie is a frequent soloist at Saint Columbkille Parish in Brighton,
MA and at St. Ignatius of Loyola Church in Chestnut Hill, where she has
been a member of the music ministry since 1999. 
​
Katie’s musical studies began with the piano at the age of 5, and she
discovered her passion for singing in her early adolescent years. Katie
holds a BM in vocal performance from the New England Conservatory of
Music, and will complete her MM in vocal performance at the Longy School
of Music of Bard College in Cambridge, MA in 2023. Always developing
professionally, she attended the Boston Conservatory Vocal Pedagogy
Professional Workshop in 2018, The Orff Schulwerk Level 1 training at
Bridgewater State University in 2019 and the OperaWorks Winter Intensive
Program in Los Angeles, CA in 2016.

---

Congratulations to our own Adam Merrill who was awarded 4th prize in the recent International Clara Schumann Competition. We couldn’t be more proud!