Press Cuttings
A recent article about BMSC (08.09.2006) in the News Star
British Music School tunes up for opening
By Anitra Rowe / Staff writer
Children lining up for limited slots
Demand for children's music lessons in Chicago has far exceeded the expectations of musician and trailblazer Hayley Roberts.
Roberts predicted that about 50 children would enroll in the school she's helping launch, the British Music School of Chicago, which opens Sept. 9 in the British School of Chicago at 1643 W. Bryn Mawr.
But Roberts said 140 children have registered, and only about 30 half-hour slots remain.
"The demand has been so great," Roberts said.
BMSC will offer Saturday morming music lessons for children age five to 18. Students can register for one-on-one instrument instruction for $30 per 30-minute class, music theory group lessons for $15 per 30 minute class, or both.
Roberts said the classes will be taught by some of the most accomplished musicians in the city, including some who have played with the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Joffery Ballet, Lyric Opera and Chicago Civic Orchestra and Marine Corps Staff Band.
The British School of Chicago, and the new BMSC provide British curriculum as a subsidiary of World Class Learning Ltd. BSC, a private school, has sister schools in Boston, Charlotte, Houston and Washington DC.
BSC is the only British School with a music school, or a band program. Roberts said the music school idea "literally came from nowhere."
Roberts, the head of music at BSC, was teaching a variety of music classes, but the load was getting overwhelming.
"I couldn't take on any more myself," Roberts said.
She also has experienced "clashes" when scheduling music lessons, due to the popularity of after-school athletics.
Roberts said she wasn't sure if BSC parents would go for the idea. At the very most, she thought a new music school would attract 50 students and require four music tutors.
Roberts sent out an e-mail inquiry to gauge tutors' interest, and about 40 tutors applied to be a part of the school.
Trombone player and teacher Tim Smith said that when Roberts extended a tutoring position offer to him, "of course I said yes."
"Hayley seemed like she knew how to recruit students," Smith said. "She had her act together and was serious."
As a freelance musician in Chicago, Smith has performed in the Chicago Symphony Orchestra, Chicago Music of the Baroque and Illinois Philharmonic as well as weddings and funerals.
"You name it, I've probably done it," Smith said.
Smith said he spends a lot of time driving to and from events and lessons, so teaching at a centralized location like BSC, where the students come to him, is a big plus.
Another perk, Smith said, is that Saturday morning rehearsals free up one of the biggest performance slots of the week - Saturday night.
"I can do it all now," Smith said.
With the staff to move forward, and the support of BSC leadership, Roberts sent a letter to BSC parents about the music school idea. The number of interested parents and students quickly surpassed 100, Roberts said, and she expects to hit 150 by September.
Though Roberts advertised BMSC only at BSC at first, she's now reaching out to Chicago at large. Auditions are not required.
"It's growing all of the time," Roberts said. "It went from a small idea to this huge monster."
Roberts said there will be 17 music tutors intially, and each tutor will have his or her own BSC classroom for instruction. Classes will cover all strings, all brass, all woodwind, all percussion, classical guitar, electric and bass, drum kit and voice.
Some tutors will teach more than one instrument, Roberts said. One will instruct in clarinet, alto sax and tenor sax, while yet another tutor will teach classical, acoustic and electric guitar, she said.
Roberts said some kids have enrolled in up to four classes in various instruments.
"They can come to us and do it all in one place," Roberts said.
If demand requires it, Roberts said the music school could add tutors. There are 20 classrooms at BSC, Roberts said, so the school could add three more tutors and offer up to 200 lessons a day, if tutors taught 10 - 30 minute classes from 9am to 2pm each Saturday.
Roberts said Saturday tutoring hours also could be extended, or classes could be offered on Sundays, making it a "weekend school."
In the near future, BMSC also hopes to offer music history, composition, theater, dance and sound mixing. BMSC will move when BSC relocated in the near future to Lincoln Park, Roberts said, and the additional space there will allow the music school to grow again.
BMSC will be the only institution in Illinois accredited by the Association Board of the Royal Schools of Music, the world's leading music examining board. Students will be taught according to ABRSM standards and will be prepared to take Royal Schools of Music exams.