BAAMS Brass and Vocals Workshop

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NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Berkshires' Academy for Advanced Musical Studies (BAAMS) will hold trombone and brass, and vocals workshop featuring Steve Davis and Abena Koomson-Davis. 
 
This opportunity will take place at the BAAMS academy in North Adams, MA, located at Building 6 in the Heritage State Park on Saturday, May 18, from 11 am to 1:30 pm.
 
Register here.
 
Steve Davis is a highly esteemed trombonist known for his exceptional contributions to jazz music. With a background that includes graduating from The Hartt School's Jackie McLean Institute of Jazz in '89, Davis has made significant waves in the music scene. He has collaborated with jazz legends such as Art Blakey, Chick Corea, and Freddie Hubbard, among others. His extensive discography and performances at prestigious venues worldwide underscore his mastery of the trombone and his enduring influence in the jazz genre.
 
Abena Koomson-Davis, an accomplished vocalist, educator, and performer, will also be part of this workshop. Her versatile musical background encompasses jazz, afrobeat, and choral singing, showcased through performances with Stevie Wonder, Carly Simon, and Natalie Merchant, to name a few. Abena's role as the lead vocalist of Van Davis and her contributions to the Resistance Revival Chorus highlight her multifaceted musical journey and dedication to her craft.
 
The workshop, open to ages 10 and up, offers a chance for aspiring musicians to learn from these industry stalwarts. The tuition fee is $40, with BAAMS matriculated students eligible for free attendance. Participants are encouraged to bring their trombones or brass instruments.
 
Additionally, musicians Richard Boulger, Dario Boente, Tony Lewis, and Alex Blake will be part of the workshop.
 
The evening culminates in a performance by Steve and Abena, accompanied by the BAAMS Faculty Band at Studio 9.

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Bread-Baking Appliance Designer Moving to Mass MoCA Campus

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art Commission welcomed bread-baking appliance designers Brod & Taylor to the campus on Monday.
 
The commission voted to bring Brod & Taylor to Building 1. Owner Michael Taylor, who called into the remote meeting, said the space will primarily be used for photography and content creation to promote their products, with an overarching philosophy of growing the bread-baking community.
 
"The genesis of the whole business of this company is to really get more people involved in bread baking," Taylor said. "We think it is something that is good for individuals and good for society; the more people that bake bread the better people are off in the world. We are looking for ways to make connections between people and the community based on bread baking."
 
The 1,500-square-foot space was built out for the company and will include a home kitchen and a microbakery.
 
Taylor said the company started in 2010 and operated out of Williamstown, above the Purple Pub.
 
"It was a business that brewed slowly in the teens but since COVID, sourdough bread sort of became the center of the world. We have expanded rapidly," Taylor said, adding that the company employs around 15 employees who work in the area.
 
Two years ago, they moved to the Norad Mill in North Adams but found the space too noisy to accommodate filming and content creation, Taylor said.
 
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