Keyboard Technique
An invaluable class for all pianists! Hands-on work in essential piano techniques such as scales, arpeggios, broken chords, octaves, and hand, wrist and arm positions. Discussion and demonstration of various practice techniques, touches and finger stretches will be included, as well as discussion of examples from the piano literature by major composers.

Piano Ensembles
Have fun as you work on your sight-reading and collaborative piano skills. Literature and techniques for various piano combinations are coached and discussed. Finally, you don't have to sit at your piano alone!

Piano Skills, Accompanying and Sight-Reading
Gain confidence through daily supervised practice of basic sight-reading techniques with piano literature. Learn, discuss, and practice valuable collaborative skills with vocalists and instrumentalists.

Piano Literature
An overview of music written for piano. The vast piano repertoire from Baroque through Contemporary periods will be explored through discussion, recordings and some live performances.

Cello Techniques/Ensemble
Develop proper techniques for cello playing. Includes studies of the bow arm (including various bow strokes), left-hand techniques, vibrato, tone production, and intonation.

Orchestral Studies and Techniques for Violin and Viola
Prepare for youth or college orchestra auditions through an in-depth study of standard orchestral excerpts, sight reading, discussion of interpretation and style, stage manner, and more. Explore weekly NYSMF string orchestral repertoire various techniques.

Double Bass Techniques, Ensemble, and Orchestral Studies
Addresses the nuances of double bass performance through the study of scales, orchestral excerpts, and ensemble literature.

Sight Reading for Strings
Recommended for all string players. This course helps students learn to sight-read more effectively, while providing exposure to a wide range of string literature.

Brass Warm-Up
Led by different brass faculty members every day, students learn the proper ways to warm up their mind, body, and instrument for the playing day ahead. This class covers a wide range of techniques such as breathing, mouthpiece buzzing, scales and arpeggios, sound concepts, and transposition.

Oboe studio class (Mondays)
All oboists meet to play and discuss important orchestral excerpts, solos and elements of oboe technique.

Reed making workshops (Tuesday and Thursdays)
Students gather to work together on reeds and learn tips for each stage of the reed making process.

Double Reed Ensembles
learn repertoire for double reeds while working on intonation, blend and ensemble techniques necessary for playing in any ensemble from a duo to a full orchestral wind section.

Aria/song interpretration
Young singers need stage savvy, from the basics of how to move the arms and focus the eyes, to sophisticated skills like text analysis and characterization. Participants will learn these important skills through their work on 3 songs (arias, songs from shows, or art songs) every day in class.

Opera/Traditional Musical Theatre Scene Class
By audition only. Memorize two works from opera and/or musical theater. Students will be assigned pieces from operatic works and great American musicals, specially selected to suit the voices and ages of participants, for a NYSMF "mini-opera" performance at the end of the session..

Vocal Performance Techniques for Singers
Daily practice, performance and discussion of basic singing and practical performance techniques, including correct breathing, posture, and vocal production.