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 and developmental differences. 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:
Thursdays, 4:00-5:00 pm
Fall: October 2 – December 11
Winter: January 8 – March 13
Spring: April 9 – June 11
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.
Black American Music Ensemble
Journalist Sidney Madden writes “Every genre that is born from America has Black roots associated with it, from rock ‘n’ roll to blues to disco…The fingerprints of Black creators are all over what makes American music so unique.” This ensemble will explore the diverse and unique genres that make up Black American Music. (You can explore a timeline of BAM from Carnegie Hall.)
Led by jazz musicians Jesse Lemons, trumpet, and Zollie Schut, percussion, topics covered will include BAM repertoire and history, beginning/intermediate Improvisation, and rehearsal/performance etiquette. Students will develop self-confidence and musicality as they work together as a group.
A minimum of one year of private lessons or school ensemble experience is required; all instruments are welcome. For ages 11-18
Class Days and Times:
Wednesdays, 5:00-6:00 pm
Fall: October 1 – December 10
Class Fees:
$200 for a 10-week session; need-based financial aid available
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
Fall 2025 session: October 2 – December 11
Spring 2026 session: March 26 – May 28
End of session concerts in December and 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:
25-26 academic-year fiddle club schedule TBA
Class Fees:
Monthly Fiddle Club is $20 per class
Summer Fiddlers is $115 for Beginners class; $175 for Advanced class
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
