In the midst of the pandemic, a new local music school has been helping children make connections through music.
Bungalow Music School was founded in October 2020 by Caroline Lazar, a singer and songwriter who moved to New York in 2018 to chase her dream of becoming a musician.
Caroline graduated from the University of Miami’s Frost School of Music with a degree in Musicianship, Artist Development, and Entrepreneurship. After graduation, she juggled various jobs, including nannying and teaching private lessons. All of a sudden the pandemic turned the world upside down, and none of those jobs were available anymore.
Lazar explained, “Venues were closed, children and parents were all at home together, and I was back to square one. But, of course it wasn’t just me. My entire community of musicians and gig workers were at a loss… not only for how to make an income, but also how to make an impact. We are so accustomed to connecting to others through music, we had to find another way to make it all mean something.”
From this idea of connecting children through music, Caroline hatched the idea for the Bungalow Music School. Lazar knew that young kids would greatly benefit from a creative outlet during such a stressful time.
Bungalow Music School’s philosophy is to develop a life-long love of music in every student. Through both virtual and in-person lessons, the talented teachers focus on figuring out what excites students, while still teaching basic musical skills. Lazar believes that learning a new song should be rewarding and fun, and that means something different to each student.
There are currently 5 local teachers assisting students in Greenpoint and virtually all over the world, giving lessons in piano, voice, guitar, bass, drums, saxophone, clarinet, flute, songwriting, ukulele, and music technology. Bungalow’s teachers are available to travel to students’ homes in Brooklyn or Manhattan, if they choose to have lessons in person. The teachers are masked and vaccinated.
Bungalow is offering Greenpointers readers a free virtual trial with any of one of the school’s teachers. Just mention “Greenpointers” on Bungalow’s online submission form on their website, via Instagram or by emailing [email protected].
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