BAAMS Holding its 7th Summer Jazz Day Camp

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. —  Each summer, a group of master musicians assembles in North Adams at The Berkshires' Academy for Advanced Musical Studies (BAAMS) to offer the region's youth ages 12 to 18 a full week of learning.

This year, Berkshire County musicians ages 12-18 will have the chance to study and play with some of the world’s finest musicians, including NBC's "Saturday Night Live" Band saxophonist and Juilliard faculty member, Ron Blake, guitar master Rodney Jones, along with two master drummer percussionists, Mino Cinelu and Kenwood Dennard.

Both drummers are former members of the bands of Sting, Jaco Pastorious, Herbie Hancock, and Wayne Shorter.

This year's camp takes place from July 14 through the 18.

The 7th Berkshires' Summer Jazz Band Day Camp takes place each summer, with five days of learning everything from music theory, ear training, how to compose, how to improvise, how to honor one's musical voice, and work with others to create performances of original work. Students come from around Berkshire County, with the highest concentration of attendees from the Northern Berkshires, but also from as far away as Lee, Stockbridge, Boston and Cambridge, New York City, and central Vermont.

"Next week’s camp is a huge opportunity for area young musicians and will help inspire and even transform their current playing levels. If you are 12-18 and play the saxophone or woodwinds, trumpet, guitar, or the drums, this is the place to be this summer," said Richard Boulger, Founder and Executive Director. He added, "You don’t have to have a lot of experience playing, or you can be an advanced player — with any level, our faculty will help each of our students have success in their musical growth and have fun doing it!"

Students will be playing a few select jazz standards on which they will learn how to improvise, as well as compose their own original music.

There are still a few slots left for selected instruments, and scholarships are being offered for qualifying families. Click here to register for Jazz Camp: berkshiresacademyams.org/berkshires-summer-jazz-day-camp 

During the week, with all musicians in town at one time, BAAMS is offering a once-a-year opportunity for music lovers to hear their BAAMS LEGACY BAND perform live on Wednesday, July 16, at Studio 9 at the Porches' Inn, North Adams. Some students will be asked to sit in with the band. Tickets are available via the venue's website at this link: https://studio9porches.com/performance/studio-9-presents-baams-faculty-concert/

This show, with a theme of HOMECOMING, is being given as a fundraiser in support of the week-long music camp.

There will be another performance at the  Adams Theater, 27 Park St., Adams, MA, on Friday, July 18, starting at 7:00 PM. The show runs from 7:00 PM to 8:30 PM and features the BAAMS LEGACY BAND immediately following the student performance for family and friends at 5:30 PM. This event caps off the week, held in the same space where the band performed for BAAMS' Third Anniversary in May 2023.

Tickets are available here:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/baams-legacy-band-in-concert-tickets-1468055155489?utm-campaign=social&utm-content=attendeeshare&utm-medium=discovery&utm-term=listing&utm-source=cp&aff=ebdsshcopyurl

Vermont National Guard Members Depart From North Adams

By Jack GuerinoiBerkshires Staff
04:20PM / Friday, June 05, 2026

About 50 people waved flags to the see the Guardsmen off on their bus. The members were staying in North Adams because of a lack of hotel rooms in Bennington, Vt.

NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — Residents came together Friday to see some Vermont National Guard members off.

 

The American Legion Riders organized a send off for a group of 75 or so Guard members who were staying at Hotel Downstreet.

 

"We are going to escort them to the Bennington Armory," Riders President Mike Lewis said. "They are going to gear up there, and then I am not sure where they are going. I don’t even know if they are all going to the same place."

 

Fifty or so people met in the Hotel Downstreet parking lot to show their appreciation. They waved flags and held signs. A bagpiper was also present.

 

The Riders contacted the Fire Department who helped organize the send off. North Adams Police cruisers and Northern Berkshire EMS were also on site to help see the bus off.

 

Lewis said there was not enough rooms in Bennington for the National Guard members. He added because of the trend to use vacant hotel rooms as low-income housing, the group had to look toward North Adams.

 

It's not clear where these Guard were off to, but about 500 members of 3-172 Infantry Battalion were expected to go to the Middle East with U.S. Central Command. According to Vermont Digger, this deployment was scheduled prior to the strikes on Iran.