About Us
The Music Room was created in 2018 to be a learning center to facilitate and develop ways of enjoying the benefits of music and music making in groups of all sizes.
Our main way of letting people know what’s going on here at the Music Room is a periodic newsletter covering all our activities. If you’d like to be on that main list, let us know at:
Musikgarten
Musikgarten is an early childhood music and movement curriculum that helps infants, toddlers and children develop a deep love of music and the ability to express it. Parents or caregivers join children in class to learn along side them. In addition to weekly classes, Musikgarten offers wonderful recordings, age-appropriate instruments and guidebooks for families to take home. These materials reinforce the lessons and involve the whole family in the fun.
All Musikgarten classes at The Music Room are taught by Caroline Baldwin, licensed and certified Musikgarten instructor.
You can link to the Musikgarten website and my facebook page:
Rapidan Orchestra
The Music Room is the rehearsal space and the Orange performance venue for the Rapidan Orchestra from September though April/May. During the summer months some of the Rapidan musicians come together to work up and then perform chamber music for a donor appreciation concert in late summer or early fall. Founded in October 2014, this orchestra is conducted by Benjamin Bergey.
Information on these concerts and open rehearsals will go out to the main Music Room email list.
https://rapidanorchestra.wordpress.com/
Old-Time Music Jam
On the second and fourth Mondays of the month (usually), some local string players come together to work up tunes, some going back hundreds of years, which are used in contra dancing (similar to square dancing with someone calling out the steps). Once we build up a repertoire, we’ll see if there’s interest in having some contra dancing here at the Music Room.
To confirm meeting times and more info, please email Myles Sullivan at:
BRAVO ~ Blue Ridge Area Virginia Youth Orchestra
is an educational outreach of The Music Room. Classes meet every Thursday. The beginning class is 4:30 - 5:30 pm and the Intermediate class is 5:30 - 6:30 pm. The mission of the program is to provide an opportunity that is not offered in the local public schools for students ages 8 and up to learn the orchestral strings: violin, viola, cello, and bass. Classes are taught by retired Virginia music educator and Rapidan Orchestra violist Darlene Dawson. The program is free of charge; you only need to provide an instrument (but please reach out if that is a concern).
For more information, please email: bravoyouthorchestra@gmail.com
Friends of the Music Room
We are blessed to have some very fine musicians living in the area who come together in various combinations from time to time to present concerts of chamber music here in the Music Room.
Announcements of these events will go out to the general email list.
Drum Circles
Benjamin Bergey, the conductor of the Rapidan Orchestra, received his degree as Doctor of Musical Arts in 2018 at James Madison University. His dissertation was on the subject of Music & Peacebuilding, the idea being to bring people together through participation in music making. Drum Circles are one way of doing that and Benjamin will be conducting some at the Music Room from time to time.
For more info, please be in touch at:
Lama Tashi Dharma Talks
Our friend Lama Tashi, a Tibetan Buddhist monk and Chant Master will be visiting from time to time and giving teachings here in the Music Room. His next visit is tentatively scheduled for September 2019.
If you would like to be the email list devoted to these events and associated information, let us know at:
We are only able to operate thanks to the generous donations of our supporters and community. Please consider donating to The Music Room so we can continue bringing quality music and education to Orange, VA. The Music Room is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization, so all donations are tax-deductible!
