Berkshire Music School Announces Talent and Merit Scholarship Auditions

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — Berkshire Music School announce the upcoming Talent and Merit Scholarship Auditions for aspiring musicians.

These auditions are scheduled for Saturday, June 27, 2026, from 1:00 PM to 4:00 PM in the Taft Recital Hall at Berkshire Music School, located at 30 Wendell Ave, Pittsfield, MA 01201.

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

Audition Details:

• Instrumentalists, Guitarists, and Electric Bassists are required to come prepared with:

• • Major and minor scales in two octaves

  • Two songs of their choice in contrasting styles

• Vocalists are asked to prepare:

• • Two songs of their choice in contrasting styles
    Note: Berkshire Music School will not provide an accompanist, so vocalists are encouraged to bring pre-recorded accompaniment if needed.

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.

To Register for the Auditions:

Visit berkshiremusicschool.org/scholarships to register.

For additional information or questions, contact Berkshire Music School at 413.442.1411 or email Tristan Manzolini at tmanzolini@berkshiremusicschool.org.

Pittsfield Nearing the End of $40M ARPA Program

By Brittany PolitoiBerkshires Staff
05:32AM / Friday, May 15, 2026

Gina Armstrong, special projects manager, updates the City Council on Tuesday on the last $400,000 in ARPA funds to be spent.

PITTSFIELD, Mass. — In five years, the city has dispersed almost all of the $40.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds awarded to help recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. 

Pittsfield has a year-end deadline to spend the last $400,000. Special Project Manager Gina Armstrong said if remaining projects conclude as planned, she will deliver a final report in July. 

"Which is really hard to believe," she said to the City Council on Tuesday. 

"In a way, it feels like we just started planning the use of the funds, and here we are. We're really measuring the impact, which is significant in just a broad scope of investments for the city." 

In 2021, Pittsfield was awarded $40,602,779 to be spent on public health, addressing negative economic impacts, infrastructure, and revenue replacement. Some of that money also went to administrative expenses. 

Funds for public health, $4.7 million, and infrastructure, $5.9 million, have been fully expended. As of March 31, $39,612,438 was spent on 84 projects; 95 percent of them are complete. 

Armstrong said this funding had a significant impact on the availability of affordable housing and support services for people who are at risk of or experiencing homelessness. 

Housing projects saw an $8.6 million ARPA investment, creating 84 affordable units, seven single-family homes that are in progress, and the Housing Resource Center at The First.