Berkshire Music School Announces Talent and Merit Scholarship Auditions

PITTSFIELD, Mass. – Berkshire Music School announced their upcoming Talent and Merit Scholarship Auditions for aspiring musicians.

These auditions are scheduled for Wednesday, June 25, 2025, from 2:30 PM to 5:00 PM at the Berkshire Music School, located at 30 Wendell Ave, Pittsfield, MA 01201. 

Students are also welcome to participate virtually, by recording a video containing the audition requirements, filling out the registration form linked below, and sending their video to Sarah Prouty at sprouty@berkshiremusicschool.org before June 25. 

Open to talented instrumentalists and vocalists, the scholarship auditions provide an excellent opportunity for musicians to showcase their skills and potentially receive talent or merit-based financial assistance for their music education at BMS. 

Audition Details: 

• Instrumentalists are asked to prepare: 
• Major and minor scales in a key of their choice in one octave  
• Two songs of their choice in contrasting styles 
• Vocalists are asked to prepare: 
• Two songs of their choice in contrasting styles 

?BMS will not be providing an accompanist. Instrumentalists should be prepared to perform without accompaniment; vocalists may perform to pre-recorded accompaniment that they provide. 

Berkshire Music School offers these scholarships to aspiring musicians in the community thanks to the generosity of their donors. These auditions not only provide a platform for showcasing musical talent but also offer financial support for students committed to furthering their musical education. The Talent and Merit Scholarship Auditions are open to musicians of all skill levels and ages, and all interested participants are encouraged to come prepared to perform. 

To Register for the Auditions: 

Visit berkshiremusicschool.org/auditions to register. 

For additional information or questions, please contact Berkshire Music School at 413.442.1411 or email Luis Granda at lgranda@berkshiremusicschool.org. 

Suspect Arraigned in 'Horrific' Dragging Case

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
12:56PM / Wednesday, February 18, 2026

Complete write-thru 3 p.m., Feb. 18.

District Attorney TimothyShugrue says the community has been 'really upset' by this case. 

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — A Hancock man has been charged in last week's gruesome dragging that killed 69-year-old William Colbert. 

 

William Gross, 65, was arraigned in Central Berkshire District Court on Wednesday for negligent motor vehicle homicide and leaving the scene. He was arrested Monday after police investigators narrowed down the type of car seen on video at the accident scene. 

 

Police say Colbert had fallen in the road at the Francis Avenue and Linden Street intersection on Feb. 10 before he was struck and dragged nearly four miles. His body was found on West Housatonic Street.

 

Gross is being held on $250,000 cash bail in the Berkshire County House of Corrections. District Attorney Timothy Shugrue said the case will go to a grand jury and foresees additional charges being placed. 

 

"I think this community was really upset by this case," Shugrue said while being interviewed by the press after the morning arraignment.  

 

"It's a horrific case, and the fact that someone was fleeing, and there was someone that was stuck there that could have been treated, and potentially in the initial stages, could have been potentially saved." 

 

Colbert was coming from a house on Francis Avenue about 11:30 on Feb. 10 when fell in the road and had trouble getting up, according to Shugrue.