Students are Saying........
"I like playing happy tunes." -- Aine, 10, RCM student since 2006
"Playing the violin is fun to me because I get to learn something new everyday." -- Victoria, 12, RCM student since 2003
"I really enjoyed piano camp. I liked all the classes, and it was especially fun to do so much ensemble work. Also, the field trip was very interesting." -- Lucy, 14, RCM student since 2007
"I love playing fiddle tunes on the violin!" -- Johannah, 10, RCM student since 2002
"Piano camp was a giant step forwards for me. I wasn't used to sight-reading and playing hands together on the spot, and I didn't like playing in front of people. Piano camp forced me to overcome all of that, and that was better for me, in the long run. It was a really great experience and I look forward to it, possibly, in the near future." --
Ifeoma, 12, RCM student since 2005
"I love exploring new music and being able to look and play classical music." -- Jade, 14, RCM student since 2003
From Our Parents....
"Lucy enjoyed the chance to work with a variety of teachers. It was great for her to meet other kids who are serious about music, and her ensemble playing has improved tremendously! Thank you!" -- Joseph Hatem, RCM parent since 2007
"Suzuki violin at the Conservatory opened our daughter's world to music and our lives have been filled with music since she started (our 3 year old son even hums Bach around the house!). We really believe that this early and well-rounded music education has given her with an appreciation of music that will last a lifetime. The teachers and program provide a wonderfully supportive environment that helps each child find the reward and fun in making music!" -- Karen McGlinchey, RCM parent since 2006
"Thank you so so much for hosting this summer's piano camp. My son Ricardo had a wonderful time! It truly inspired him. He really enjoyed the Jazz workshop, the ensembles, and, of course, the pizza and bagels. Both Melissa Alexander and Janice Nimitz are wonderful beyond words, and sublimely motivational. Once again thank you from the bottom of my heart!" -- Guillermo Sanchez, RCM parent since 2006
"As you may have gathered, we are very dedicated to music education. At times, we've taken 3 piano lessons a week. With it all, I've never seen such development and progress in just 5 short days. Today, at a community service performance for the elderly, Paige played the piece on which she worked at the [piano] camp. She did so with musicality and confidence. You gave Paige the gift of music, and she was able to pass that gift along. What more can we say at testament to the wonderful piano camp?" -- Suzanne Alenick, RCM parent since 2008
"Thank you for another Piano Summer Camp. It was a great experience for Adam to be exposed to different teachers and their different styles of teaching. Adam especially enjoyed improv class. The ensemble performances were very impressive. The children learned so much in such a short period of time. Had they not attended it is doubtful that they would have ever gotten the chance to learn how to play in a group as the majority of their practices and performances are solo.
Thanks again, I am certain that Adam will take the many things he has learned from the camp and build on them throughout his career." -- Donna Gloc, RCM parent since 2007
"Practicing and attending piano lessons are not necessarily the activity of choice for teenage boys. However, the personal touch, understanding and genuine caring atmosphere has made the Rockland Conservatory of Music a place my sons look forward to attending. Their teacher Carole Brill is warm, patient and friendly and often extends herself well beyond the role of instructor. They look forward to each lesson with her and admire her genuine love of music." -- Rhonda Thomas, RCM parent since 1999
Fond Memories from Alumni....
"My parents first brought me to the Community Music School (now the Rockland Conservatory of Music) in 1968, when I was five years old, to begin violin lessons with founders Janet and Ed Simons. From that moment forward, the school became a focal point of all our lives. It was a warm, welcoming place full of creativity and fun and true community, where we made lifelong friends and were immersed in the beauty of great music. The school's music-first philosophy eschewed stress and competition in favor of a positive, life-affirming experience for its students, and in fact my time there was wonderful enough that I pursued music as a career. I'm a professional violinist now specializing in 'klezmer', the traditional celebration music of East European Jewry, and I've toured the world and recorded on dozens of albums, collaborating with artists ranging from Itzhak Perlman to Led Zeppelin. Thank you Rockland Conservatory of Music!" -- Alicia Svigals, RCM alumni 1968-?
"The training I received from the founders of The Rockland Conservatory, Janet and Ed Simons, formed the essential foundation of my music education and career.
Without the good fortune that my mother brought me for lessons, where would I be now?
The training was much more than technical instruction; the environment, the atmosphere at the school (Community Music School as it was called then) was much more;
it was an introduction to the world of art, performance and culture.
The School was a community of Rockland artists who came together for chamber music, dance, visual art, and symphonic experience.
The Simons' and The School were central to the artistic life of the community.
The Music School, the related Arts Organizations, the Suburban Symphony (now Rockland Symphony), the concerts, the Simons' gatherings, all provided an all-inclusive influence upon this young student."
-- Stanley Kurtis, RCM alumni 1958-1963
"The Rockland Conservatory gave me a solid foundation for a life-long love of music. I fondly remember violin lessons, chamber music with founder Janet Simons, and group Suzuki classes, which were also an important part of my development and identity. I spent many Saturdays going from class to class to lesson, playing in the hallways with my friends in between, and generally having a great time. These experiences shaped the rest of my life and I continue to experience great joy through music to this day.
After several years in Arts Administration in New York City, I moved back to Rockland County and decided to send my resume to RCM - mostly because of those warm memories. To my delight, Marigene saw the contributions I would be able to make and the skills I could bring.
On one of my first Saturdays as Assistant Director, I went into the Suzuki Pre-Twinkle group class to observe. The teacher was instructing the students to put their bows on their heads and walk around in a circle. I had to stop myself from putting my own hand on my head because the memories came flooding back to me of my own Suzuki Pre-Twinkle classes. That was the moment I knew I had found my way back home." -- Beth Weiss-Dunn, Assistant Director, RCM alumni 1979-1986