Pacific Boychoir Academy (215 Ridgeway, Oakland)
June 15–19, 2020
Yuko Tanaka, director
Baroque Spain and ¡Zarzuela!
Join us as we explore Baroque Spain in music, art, dance, and theatre. Our project-based, holistic workshop features semi-private instruction for elementary, middle, and high school students and is the only children’s workshop in the U.S. in which all participants take an introductory viola da gamba class. The Youth Collegium, for intermediate to advanced students. This year, in addition to chamber music, we will perform our very own Zarzuela, a musical/theatrical genre very popular in Baroque Spain and still performed today.
Our renowned faculty members are specialists in historically informed performance and are very passionate about educating the younger generation. Families are invited to attend our Friday final performance, made concert-ready in just five days.
Faculty
Jonathon Hampton Vocal Collegium Director
Jennifer Meller baroque dance
Vicki Melin recorder and flute
Farley Pearce cello, viola da gamba and guitar
David Sego Instrumental Collegium Director, violin and viola
Adam Sussman theater
Yuko Tanaka, D.M.A. artistic director, harpsichord
Dates, Deadlines, and Fee Information
$525 by April 15; $550 thereafter
Super Early Bird discount: $475 by February 15 (contact Stacey Helley at workshops@sfems.org.)
Sibling discount: $50 per additional sibling enrolled
Additional questions regarding payment? Contact Stacey Helley at workshops@sfems.org.
Limited scholarships available. For more information about scholarships about the workshops in general, contact director Yuko Tanaka at discoveryworkshop@sfems.org.
About the Workshop
SFEMS’s Music Discovery Workshop & Youth Collegium is a premier workshop for the kids in grades 1–12. Originally founded by Lee McRae in 1994, it has established itself as a unique gem among music workshops for children, not only here in the Bay Area, but in the nation.
The Music Discovery Workshop is for younger children, in grades 1–6, who are looking for a fun and artistic introduction to the music of 1500–1800. The focus of the workshop is to introduce and immerse children in early music from the Middle Ages to the Classical period, while providing historical and cultural context, all in a fun, hands on way through instrumental and vocal music, theater and arts and crafts.
The Youth Collegium is a concurrent program designed for older, more experienced students, in grades 7–12, who want to explore early music in greater depth. Students round out their day by having semi-private lessons, and elective options of drama, art and period dance.
We request all Youth Collegium applicants to submit a brief, casual video so we may better assess their musical level. This video does not have to be a performance. It may be a brief recording of a piece or a work in progress and may be filmed on a mobile device. Please send the video to the director, Yuko Tanaka at discoveryworkshop@sfems.org.
About the Classes:
Our workshop provides semi-private instruction for all students. We are proud to keep a very low teacher-to-student ratio, between 1:2 to 1:5. All classes are taught in rotation: music, chamber ensemble, musicianship, dance, arts and crafts, choir, and theater. During the assembly period, we will have visits from special guests and early music specialists.
Snapshot from a typical day at the Music Discovery Workshop & Youth Collegium:
