Ensembles at Our School of Music
Crescendo has several ensemble opportunities available at our school of music. Ensemble membership is by teacher recommendation and/or audition.
Community Voices
Instructors: Corlis Watkins-Nass and Kim Licavolli
Crescendo Community Voices is for teens and adults with intellectual disabilities. It provides participants with a unique opportunity to engage in a positive learning and leisure activity. By working collaboratively to learn and perform, the participants not only broaden their musical experiences but are able to further develop vocational and cognitive skills. CCV participants experience singing, chanting, movement, drumming, and playing rhythmic and tonal instruments. Our program philosophy is to make music in a supportive atmosphere where the reward is the pleasure of making music with others. Additionally, CCV unites its participants with the community through live performances.
Register online or call the office at 269-345-6664.
Class Days and Times:
School-year sessions meet Thursdays, 4:00-5:00 pm
Fall: October 3 – December 12
Winter: January 16 – March 20
Spring: April 10 – June 12
Class Fees:
This program only costs $30 per 10-week session
Grant support is provided by the Arts Fund of Kalamazoo County, a program of the Arts Council of Greater Kalamazoo. the Irving S. Gilmore Foundation, and the Dorothy U. Dalton Foundation.
Crescendo Community String Orchestra
Do you play violin, viola, cello, or string bass? Want to join other string players in a chamber orchestra?
This chamber orchestra is for amateur adult string players; three or four years of instrument study is recommended. Led by Teaching Artist Dr. Joanna Steinhauser, the CCSO will rehearse weekly and present an end of session concert.
Class Days and Times:
Rehearsals are Thursdays, 6:30 – 8:00 pm, at Crescendo Academy of Music
Spring 2025 session meets April 10 to June 5
End of session concert in June
Class Fees:
$150 for a 10-week session
Crescendo Fiddlers
Director: Timothy Cuffman
Crescendo Fiddlers is for string players of all instruments, ages, and levels of experience to explore musical styles outside of the classical music tradition. Director Dr. Timothy Cuffman leads classes in American and Celtic fiddle music as well as Blues and Jazz. There will be opportunities for class members to learn new techniques and to experiment with improvisation.
During the school year, Fiddlers meets as Fiddle Club.
Fiddle classes meet weekly in the summer, perform throughout the summer at community events.
Intro to fiddling: Elementary school age with at least a school year of experience playing the instrument
Next-Level Fiddling: Middle school and older with at least a year of experience playing the instrument
Crescendo Fiddlers: At least 2-3 years of playing experience.
Open to violin, viola, cello, and bass players.
Class Days and Times:
Monthly academic-year fiddle club meets the second Saturday of the month from 1:00-2:00 pm
Summer Fiddlers meets June 17 – August 12
Beginning class: Mon, 6:00-6:30
Advanced class: Mon, 6:30-7:30
Class Fees:
Monthly Fiddle Club is $20 per class
Summer Fiddlers is $115 for Beginners class; $175 for Advanced class
Chamber Music Ensembles
Crescendo Chamber Ensembles are for students of all instruments including voice interested in exploring chamber music repertoire. Placement in a group is based on playing level and age. Groups include duos, trios, quartets, quintets, and more. Rehearsals will culminate in a recital.
To be considered for ensemble placement, complete an Inquiry Form.
Class Fees:
Fee is based on the number of rehearsals for each group; $20 per 60-minute rehearsal.
(Students not currently taking private lessons at Crescendo will also be charged an annual $20 registration fee.)
Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra
The Kalamazoo Mandolin and Guitar Orchestra is a plucked string ensemble consisting of mandolins, mandolas, mandocellos, guitars, and bass. Membership is gained by audition.
The KMGO was founded in 2003 to revive the mandolin orchestra tradition in Kalamazoo. The orchestra enjoys performing a wide variety of music including classical, ethnic, and “golden era” mandolin orchestra music. The orchestra has premiered original music composed for the orchestra and has sponsored workshops with international mandolin virtuosi.
Class Days and Times:
Tuesday evenings at 7:15 pm
Class Fees:
Registration fee is $75 per year
