NORTH ADAMS, Mass. — The Berkshires' Academy for Advanced Musical Studies, Inc., (BAAMS) announced it has recently garnered support from several donors and foundations, all contributing to the expansion of its mission and increasing its ability to serve more young music students from Berkshire County and beyond.

 

A donation was received from Michelle Daunais and Rick Seto of Weymouth, double matched by Takeda Pharmaceutical, as well as funds raised through Network for Good, and funds were also donated in Memory of John T. "Jack" Gould, of North Adams, who passed away in December, 2022, made possible by the family of Jack Gould and the Flynn & Dagnoli Funeral Home.

 

BAAMS also received a grant from the William J. and Margery S. Barrett Fund, for young music students from Adams, Cheshire, and Savoy, as well as a grant from the Guardian Life Insurance Company, Pittsfield, Massachusetts, to support scholarships and reduced tuition for its students.

 

According to a press release, the number of the region's school children who may learn from BAAMS will be increased by taking part in a music-educational experience, as the Massachusetts' Cultural Council has recently approved three STARS' Residency Program grants for BAAMS. 

 

The state agency has granted funds for BAAMS Faculty to conduct STARS Residencies for students in Grades 4-8, set to take place in Spring 2023 in the following schools: Greylock Elementary School, Gabriel Abbott Memorial Elementary School, and Clarksburg Elementary School. 

 

Additionally, the Gateway Fund and Pauline Young Music Fund, through the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, has provided an award to further support these STARS' Residencies, leveraging what BAAMS' faculty will be able to provide for students who participate from North Adams, Clarksburg, and the town of Florida.

 

The Cultural Council of Northern Berkshire, a local cultural council which is supported by the Mass Cultural Council, has also chosen to support BAAMS' after-school music education during the federal fiscal year 2023. 

 

In other important news, support has been pledged from the Pittsfield Educational Enrichment Fund, through the Berkshire Taconic Community Foundation, for approximately eight low-income students residing in Pittsfield to attend the 5th Berkshires' Summer Jazz Band Day Camp in August, 2023.