From the Executive Director, September 2024

---

As we embark on a new school year at Brooklyn Music School(BMS), I'd like to first reflect upon the last few months within the organization.  After arriving at a truly critical financial moment last spring, I am overjoyed to say that the outpouring of support from the community and beyond allowed BMS to continue offering our wide variety of programs through the summer months uninterrupted.  On behalf of our staff, faculty and Board of Trustees, we want to sincerely thank each and every person that donated to our June fundraising campaign. With new administrative structures, approaches, and upcoming fundraising, we anticipate a much more stabilized year ahead. I would also like to congratulate all of the Summer Institute and Intensive students for their incredible work and performances throughout July and August.  

In entering the Fall semester and beyond, we are excited to bring all of our historic programmatic offerings back once again to our students.  I'd like to encourage the community to enjoy as many of our annual events at BMS as possible, some of which include the Halloween Fall Celebration, New York City Marathon outdoor concert, MLK Celebration concert, and many more. We also plan to usher in new happenings, performance opportunities, and special events in our Playhouse space and throughout the city. It is our honor and pleasure to serve such a beautiful community through the joy of the performing arts.  

With gratitude,

Brian Adamczyk

Executive Director

BMS Backstage: Mentor Program + Damon DeGraff

BMS Backstage

BMS Backstage is a new monthly series that takes our community behind the scenes and on a journey through BMS, the history, the community and by celebrating historical and contemporary aspects of music and the performing arts . Anika Rahman our new and brilliant marketing intern explores contemporary and historical subjects through the lens of the building, programming, events and our local and global community connections.

---

The Mentor Program hosted a workshop with music producer and manager Damon DeGraff on Monday, October 17th, 2022. Damon is the CEO and partner of dGi Management, a New York-based management and production company that represents some of the industry's most elusive DJs. On Monday, he led a workshop for the teens in our professional youth development program in which he shared his own personal journey with music and music production.

The Mentor Program at BMS enables high school students to prepare for a career in music. Mentors receive instruction from professional musicians and artists through private lessons and ensembles, while also learning to become community leaders by mentoring younger BMS students and performing at various events throughout Brooklyn and beyond. Throughout the workshop, these mentors performed both individually and collectively. Damon in turn provided feedback and techniques to improve these performances from his own professional experience.

It was an honor to have Damon at BMS to lead a workshop for our Mentor Program students. His industry experience and knowledge were extremely valuable, and our teens appreciated his feedback on their individual performances. We appreciate him taking the time to mentor our young people and assist them in their professional musical journeys. Thank you for your time and generosity, Damon!

REGGAE BOYZ: A Jamaican Fairytale

A FUNdRAISER

“Growing up on the island of Jamaica, [I] was naturally always aware of the power of sport and music to unite people.”

— Romario Burrell

---

Reggae Boyz: The History

Jamaica has always been a country full of music and soccer. The first football club was formed in 1910 as the Kingstone Cricket Club. And in 1925 the team had its first game against Haiti. Jamaica became independent in 1962 and during that same year the Jamaican Football Federation (JFF) became a member of FIFA. The team attempted to qualify for the 1966 FIFA World Cup after finishing first in a preliminary group. Almost a decade later, JFF almost qualified for the 1978 World Cup but was defeated by Cuba during the qualifying rounds. In 1995, The Jamaican Football Federation visited Zambia to play a friendly football match. It was during that visit the local media conceived the name “Reggae Boyz” naturally drawing connections with the music that originate in Jamaica and the football team. Two years later, on November 16, 1997, after three wins over El Salvador, Canada, and Costa Rica, Jamaica secured its first ever qualification for the1998 World Cup. November 16, 1997 is a significant day in Jamaican history for two reasons, one being the World Cup qualification. And second, as stated by the President of the Jamaican Football Federation, “not a single bullet was fired in the country.” And this is where the story of REGGAE BOYZ the documentary begins.

Fim shot: Sheppy Yoga

Film shot: Earl Chinna Smith

Film shot: No Maddz

Film shot: Jermaine Tuffy Anderson

Reggae Boyz: The Documentary

“Do it for yourself, do it for your country. We qualified before and we can qualify again...” - Prime Minister Portia Simpson-Miller

On November 16, 1997, when Jamaica’s national soccer team – a.k.a. the “Reggae Boyz” – qualified for the 1998 World Cup, not a single bullet was fired despite Jamaica having one of the highest murder rates in the world. Mindful of this history, in 2017, Jamaica tries to inspire its populace by qualifying for the World Cup again. When their efforts start to fall short, Winnie Schäfer, a colorful German coach, enters the scene and forms an unlikely alliance with a Rastafarian factory worker named Jermaine “Tuffy” Anderson and legendary reggae musicians including Bunny Wailer and The NoMaddz to unite Jamaica beyond the soccer pitch. REGGAE BOYZ uses pop cultures’ most transcendent forces – sports and music – to delve into the heart and soul of Jamaica.

Sensing how much music and soccer are intertwined in Jamaica, Winnie visits Bunny Wailer – co-founder of “Bob Marley and the Wailers” – at the legendary musician’s home. Bunny not only introduces Winnie to the benefits of herbs, but he also suggests that putting Tuffy on the team will change Jamaica’s fortunes. Winnie takes the hint, calls up the factory worker, and together they manage to unite Jamaica beyond the soccer pitch, leading the Reggae Boyz on a path to success that culminates with their first-ever Gold Cup Finals in 2015 and 2017. REGGAE BOYZ is a romp through Jamaica’s heart and soul, where the journey is the goal.

REGGAE BOYZ producer Till Schauder, Romario Burrell, REGGAE BOYZ producer Sara Nodjoumi, Damon DeGraff and Brian Adamczyk

Photo Credit: Emery Major

Reggae Boyz: The Conversation

During the screening we were honored to have special guests Damon DeGraff and his friend Romario Burrell from Jamaica. Both participated in the q&a session of the screening. Here is a quote from Burrell and why his presence last week was significant! 

“Growing up on the island of Jamaica, [I] was naturally always aware of the power of sport and music to unite people.”

Burrell’s was aware of how significant the Reggae Boyz story was regarding the history of Jamaica and how uplifting it would be for the culture from a local and global perspective.  This was because his father was the President of the Jamaican Football Federation before, during and after the filming of the documentary – and he offered such an important perspective about the the Reggae Boyz origin story and why it truly was a fairytale!

---