CCMS Well-Represented at 2026 OAKE National Conference

March 17, 2026

by Jeff Selesnick There was a distinct Concord Community Music School presence in the Midwest at the beginning of March as a team of talented singers represented CCMS at the 2026 Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) National Conference in Chicago. 11 CCMS vocalists winged west to the Windy City for three days of intense … Read more

In His Own Words: a Q&A with James Fernando

January 13, 2026

The James Fernando Trio returns to Concord Community Music School on Saturday, March 21, 2026 to headline CCMS’s annual Jazz Night Fundraiser. Fernando (above, center) is a Philadelphia-based pianist whose career includes international performances, collaborations with GRAMMY Award–winning artists, and five acclaimed albums. CCMS: You’ve toured and performed your music in jazz venues and arts … Read more

Boots and Beats: Music Therapy for Those Who’ve Served

November 10, 2025November 7, 2025

Boots and Beats is a music-based support program for service-connected personnel and their families led by board-certified music therapist and Navy veteran Tony Varga. It was founded on a core belief that music is where healing happens, because it is where memories live, emotions awaken, and thoughts blossom. The vitality of music is readily evident … Read more

CCMS Welcomes “Wagner’s Women: Archetypes and Inspirations” on Nov 15

October 9, 2025October 8, 2025

The stained-glass windows at Concord Community Music School iconic Recital Hall might shake a little when the Berlin Wagner Group (BWG) puts on its Wagner’s Women performance on Saturday, November 15. Wagner’s lengthy operas are often compared to four-course meals. But this free event promises attendees many of the highlights of a Wagner production, just … Read more

Melissa Elsman Joins CCMS Faculty; Performs at October Bach’s Lunches

September 17, 2025

by Jeff Selesnick Melissa Elsman found herself at a crossroads. Well before she became the newest voice faculty at Concord Community Music School, Elsman was living in Chicago, freshly equipped with a BM in Vocal Performance from the Boston Conservatory and a MM in Vocal Performance from the Chicago College of Performing Arts, and … Read more

CCMS’s 7th Annual Fiddle Fest Fuses Friends, Fellowship, and Folk (Try Saying THAT Ten Times Fast!)

August 14, 2025

Article by Jeff Selesnick “There’s so much to love about the Fall Fiddle Festival,” says Music School faculty member and Festival Chair Liz Faiella. The annual October tradition, which will be held Saturday, October 4, 2025 at the Music School, brings teen and adult fiddle fanatics to CCMS in a celebration of a variety of … Read more

CCMS 2025 Senior Profile: Emma Richardson

June 4, 2025

by Jeff Selesnick Students are drawn to Concord Community Music School for a variety of reasons. Some seek the thrill of mastering a new instrument, or the harmony found in playing alongside others. Some arrive with dreams that echo on concert stages, honing their craft with passion and purpose. And others come simply to … Read more

CCMS Alumna Kelsey Rogers Combines STEM and Music to Compose a Career in Architectural Acoustics

May 8, 2025

by Jeff Selesnick It had been several years since Kelsey Rogers had taken a piano lesson. Yes, she had found time to play the instrument with some regularity. But she knew that her technique and execution weren’t quite at her peak from years ago. With a major performance looming, Kelsey reached out to her longtime … Read more

CCMS Pays Tribute to Miles Davis on April 10, 2025

April 7, 2025

by Jeff Selesnick On Thursday, April 10, The Bank of New Hampshire Stage will once again play host to what is quickly becoming a flagship event in the Concord Community Music School calendar. Continuing the tradition of the popular “Jazz in January” series, CCMS’s April Jazz Night, now in its third year and featuring the … Read more

Shades of Green

February 27, 2025

CCMS folk faculty prepares for a Spring filled with lively Celtic music and new musical friendships by Jeff Selesnick Late winter is traditionally one of the busiest times of the year for Celtic musicians. Venues are booking acts for St. Patrick’s Day shows, and guitarists, fiddlers, pipers, and others are getting called in for … Read more

CCMS Well-Represented at 2026 OAKE National Conference

by Jeff SelesnickThere was a distinct Concord Community Music School presence in the Midwest at the beginning of March as a team of talented singers represented CCMS at the 2026 Organization of American Kodály Educators (OAKE) National Conference in Chicago. 11 CCMS vocalists winged west to the Windy City for three days of intense rehearsals and the opportunity to perform in one of four choral groups at Chicago’s famed Symphony Center. More than 400 singers from all over the United States participated in this year’s choir festival.The CCMS group featured a wide range of ages and experiences, from first-timers to seasoned veterans. Clara Selesnick, a first-year participant and youngest of the CCMS cohort at age 9, was thrilled to learn she had been selected for the choir… and appropriately nervous about the pieces she had to learn. The Children’s Choir song list totaled seven works, including an original piece by director Jeremy Howard, two that were in foreign languages, and several that featured song-specific choreography. “I was super happy when I heard I got in,” says Selesnick. “The pieces looked really interesting, being from a couple of different cultures, and I was excited to learn them.”Eighth-grader Anna Simms attended her fourth OAKE National Conference this year and cites the chance to work with different guest conductors as one of her favorite parts of the conference experience. Simms’ voice caught the ear of the judicators as being particularly mature, and she was given the opportunity to “sing up,” joining the National Concert Treble Choir, usually reserved for high schoolers. “This year’s experience was especially exciting for me because it was my first time singing in the high school treble choir,” says Simms. “It was inspiring to sing more challenging music and work with such talented singers from different schools.”Bella Messenger, currently in her sophomore year at Concord High School, was one of the senior-most members of the CCMS clan. She started attending the OAKE festival as a fourth-grader, making this year’s trip to Chicago her seventh time taking part in the event. A big reason for her continued participation is the mentorship she received from older students when she was first getting involved, and the chance to pay it forward as an experienced festivalgoer. “The older students were such great role models and included me in many activities,” recalls Messenger. “OAKE is special because you create significant relationships with the students from CCMS that you travel with, as well as with singers from all over the country.”Leading the group of CCMS participants was faculty and Kodály Certified Instructor Maria Isaak. As director of the Music’s School’s Purple Finches Youth Choir, Isaak started bringing students to the OAKE National Choir Festival in 2004 and has overseen a steady stream of festival participants in the years since. She not only prepares and accompanies the students, but she also attends the conference that coincides with the choir festival, engaging with and learning from Kodály teachers from around the country. “The conferences have four or five presenters every hour, so you get to choose who to listen to and the sessions are usually hands-on and participatory. I bring lots of the ideas I learned from the sessions back to my classroom,” says Isaak.The Kodály Method was developed by Hungarian composer and musician Zoltán Kodály in the 1930s and is a comprehensive program to train basic musical skills and teach the reading and writing of music. Key components of the method are the emphasis of folk music as a learning tool, the utilization of solfege in music education, and the belief that the voice is the most natural instrument that every person possesses.Isaak started exploring the Kodály method in 1995 as a student teacher at a high school in San Francisco and attended her first OAKE National Conference in 2000. After earning her Kodály Specialist Certificate from the International School for Kodály Studies in Hungary, she committed to integrating the Kodály method in most of her teaching roles, including as director of the Purple Finches. “I witnessed third graders singing three-part harmonies and playing recorders simultaneously – they were responding to solfege and absolute pitch names,” recalls Isaak of her first exposure to the Kodály method. “I had never seen kids able to read music so well in a classroom setting.”Students were selected to participate in this year’s festival based on recorded auditions that were submitted digitally in the fall. Acceptance messages were delivered just before Thanksgiving, allowing participants to get travel arrangements in order and ample lead time to learn the demanding musical selections. Through January and February, Isaak led weekly sessions with accepted singers to go through the concert repertoire and help build confidence heading into the performance. “Maria was really helpful preparing us for auditions and performances, helping us fully learn our parts and leaving the fine-tuning to the conductors,” notes Simms.“Maria has been such an amazing teacher my whole life – she is constantly supporting her students while also letting us learn things for ourselves,” agrees Messenger.Attending the Choir Festival represents a sizeable commitment, both from the participants and their families. Between travel expenses, accommodations, pre-festival rehearsals and time away from school, the logistics of participating can be daunting. But the experience of meeting new people, both peers and directors, and having the opportunity to sing in such a storied venue makes it all worth it. “The OAKE choir is special because it brings together singers from many different backgrounds,” says Simms. “My favorite part is getting to work with the different guest conductors and how powerful the choir sounds when everyone sings together.”“The fancy hotel, making a bunch of friends, getting to sing every day in a big group and exploring Chicago made it really special,” says Selesnick.While the National Conference has rotated locations in the past, OAKE has committed to holding its biggest annual event in Chicago through the end of the decade. And with that in mind, previous participants and future hopefuls at CCMS will continue circling early […]
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In His Own Words: a Q&A with James Fernando

The James Fernando Trio returns to Concord Community Music School on Saturday, March 21, 2026 to headline CCMS’s annual Jazz Night Fundraiser. Fernando (above, center) is a Philadelphia-based pianist whose career includes international performances, collaborations with GRAMMY Award–winning artists, and five acclaimed albums.CCMS: You’ve toured and performed your music in jazz venues and arts centers across the U.S., from Scottsdale and Maryland to New England. How does playing in different regions shape the energy of your show and influence what you do later on? JF: Meeting audiences and playing in different venues across regions is a truly fantastic experience. No amount of practice can substitute for the “real thing,” which to me is a live show. With each performance comes the audience reactions, discussions with the folks who are working to present the performance, and our own feelings of how the show went. Each show gives us a new opportunity to build off of what came before and discover ways of building an even deeper connection with each other, the music, and our audiences. Plus, all the shared time traveling as a band helps us build deep understandings of one another.CCMS: When someone comes to their very first jazz show, what do you most want them to notice or feel?JF: I want to welcome first time jazz listeners to feel the incredible energy that comes from a band that’s deeply locked in and spontaneously playing off of one another. I also want listeners at my shows to come along for the ride and feel the storytelling through music that I try to create with each piece we play. Jazz gets a reputation of being low energy or belonging in the background, and when it’s at its best (and presented well!) it’s a captivating experience for a listener.CCMS: What makes this trio work, both musically and personally? What does each player bring that couldn’t be replaced? JF: My bandmates each bring the rare combination of a deep understanding and respect for tradition paired with a fearless ability to look forward and make this music live and breathe in present day.CCMS: How much of what the audience hears is planned, and how much is created in the moment? JF: I like to think of improvisation a lot like a conversation. You may show up to coffee with a friend knowing you’re going to ask them for updates on a certain subject and share specific things from your own life. But you probably didn’t show up to that coffee with an agenda written out. It’s a similar mix with the music we play—there’s large sections that are composed, large sections that are made up on the spot, and many things that are created spontaneously but stem from our shared history, much like an inside joke.CCMS: Can you tell us a bit about your new album, Philly 3 (coming out in Feb 2026)? What was the process of putting it together like, and how did it influence the trio’s live performances?JF: We recorded Philly 3 over two days at Elm Street Studios in the Philadelphia area. The experience gave us the chance to give ourselves many rounds of feedback while we recorded and listened back leading into the final product. It’s a tough journey to bring music from my imagination into the world through other musicians, and these guys nailed it!CCMS: You performed at CCMS before during Bach’s Lunch — what stood out to you about that experience or that audience? JF: Everyone brought such warmth and enthusiasm to our show, both from the audience side and from the folks who work at CCMS. It’s no wonder we are coming back!CCMS: If someone leaves this Jazz Night Fundraiser remembering just one thing about the experience, what do you hope it is?JF: That CCMS is a special place worth supporting! Tickets for the 2026 Jazz Night Fundraiser are $80; $300 for a table of 4. Order now here.###https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cgcx0Afn5FI
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Boots and Beats: Music Therapy for Those Who’ve Served

Boots and Beats is a music-based support program for service-connected personnel and their families led by board-certified music therapist and Navy veteran Tony Varga. It was founded on a core belief that music is where healing happens, because it is where memories live, emotions awaken, and thoughts blossom. The vitality of music is readily evident in our collaboration with partner agencies such as the NH Veterans Home, Harbor Care, and Easterseals NH, where services are provided for individuals and groups at host facilities or on site at CCMS. On one such occasion, NH Veterans Home staff were awestruck to witness the response of a minimally communicative 101-year-old resident, who upon hearing a Frank Sinatra song, began singing along with the lyrics. Service does not come without sacrifice: the sacrifice of separation, sacrifice of autonomy, and sacrifice of self for others. Veterans deserve more recognition than is afforded to them on a few national holidays each year – they need to feel more permanently included and appreciated in society. Boots and Beats complements ongoing regional efforts and amplifies local impact. It offers continuing support to those whose service-connected sacrifices have shaped their post-service civilian selves. For a returning veteran, the scars of service are not always visible, This presents challenges to healthy socialization, as in the case of a participant who routinely attended sessions shrouded in the safety of his hoodie. Recently, however, he has begun to consistently remove his hood upon joining our session – a gesture of respect and trust that even his case managers have yet to experience in their interactions with him. Boots and Beats creates a safe place for individual and family healing, side-by-side with their civilian community. What emerges is not just coping, but a trusted network of community support that will “have your six” for whatever you need, for as long as you need it. In Merrimack County, the veteran presence is significant: about 8.5% of residents are veterans – roughly 10,360 individuals. This local density underscores why a program like Boots and Beats is such an important resource for assisting our veteran neighbors with living their most productive and satisfying lives in civilian communities. Why a music-based approach? The evidence is strong. Studies show that structured music interventions (such as drumming, songwriting, guided listening) reduce symptoms of PTSD, depression, and anxiety for veterans. The American Music Therapy Association lists rhythm-based and receptive-music techniques among effective tools in veteran populations. Music activates the brain’s emotion, memory, and motor networks. It helps regulate nervous system arousal and fosters social connection, which is especially helpful when conventional talk therapy feels limiting. Boots and Beats sessions include (but aren’t limited to): Group drumming or body rhythms to build regulation, presence and peer solidarity. Guided listening and lyric-driven songwriting, to surface memories and gently re-route them toward resilience. Instrument learning (guitar, ukulele, percussion) for mastery, reward, habit, and joy. Family-friendly modules where a spouse or child can join – not just the veteran alone There is no expectation of performance and no prior training is required; just showing up and making an effort counts. Boots and Beats is a steady and reliable place where music, memory, and healing converge. On Veterans Day and beyond, that steady place matters greatly. All members of military communities, active duty, reservists, prior service, career retirees, and their families are invited to inquire about Boots and Beats by contacting CCMS Music Therapist Tony Varga at avarga@ccmusicschool.org or 603-228-1196.
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0 events 1 0 events, 1	0 events 2 0 events, 2	0 events 3 0 events, 3	1 event 4 1 event, 4 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm CCMS Student Recital – Clarinet Studio March 4 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm CCMS Student Recital – Clarinet Studio Student recitals are part of the Concord Community Music School’s multi-level curriculum for private lesson students. These frequent performance opportunities help our students perform more easily, broaden their musical skills, and help them make new musical friends. This recital features clarinet students of Stephanie Jenkins. This event will be held in our historic Recital Hall. ... Read more	1 event 5 1 event, 5 12:10 pm - 12:50 pm Bach’s Lunch: History of the Slide Guitar March 5 @ 12:10 pm - 12:50 pm Bach’s Lunch: History of the Slide Guitar From the dusty porches of the rural South to the world’s biggest stages, slide guitar has shaped the sound of blues, rock, and beyond. In this immersive clinic, CCMS faculty Jarred Garneau traces the powerful lineage of slide guitar from its roots to the modern masters. We’ll begin with the pre–World War II pioneers ... Read more	1 event 6 1 event, 6 2026-03-06 Featured David Surette Mandolin Festival 2026 Featured David Surette Mandolin Festival 2026 Featured March 6 - March 8 David Surette Mandolin Festival 2026 There will be workshops on Saturday and Sunday for all levels on things like specific styles and skills, waltzes, how to play tasty back-up for songs, and more. There are classes each period for beginners to advanced levels. Each teacher will offer something for each level so you will get to be with every teacher ... Read more	1 event 7 1 event, 7 2026-03-06 Featured David Surette Mandolin Festival 2026
1 event 8 1 event, 8 2026-03-06 Featured David Surette Mandolin Festival 2026 Featured David Surette Mandolin Festival 2026	0 events 9 0 events, 9	0 events 10 0 events, 10	0 events 11 0 events, 11	2 events 12 2 events, 12 2026-03-12 Piano Somatics Institute with Alan Fraser Piano Somatics Institute with Alan Fraser March 12 - March 15 Piano Somatics Institute with Alan Fraser New England's Piano Somatics Institute returns to Concord this year on March 13-15, with a special free introductory event on Thursday, March 12 in the Recital Hall. This is the perfect opportunity to discover how Alan Fraser and Piano Somatics can help improve your piano playing - even create a breakthrough! There will also be a ... Read more 12:10 pm - 12:50 pm Bach’s Lunch: A Celtic Journey March 12 @ 12:10 pm - 12:50 pm Bach’s Lunch: A Celtic Journey With St. Patrick's Day just around the corner, join the Concord Community Music School's folk faculty as they share some of our favorite songs and fiddle tunes from the Celtic tradition. A trio of fiddlers - Jordan Tirrell-Wysocki, Liz Faiella, and Audrey Budington - will join forces with guitarist Dan Faiella to present toe-tapping fiddle ... Read more	2 events 13 2 events, 13 2026-03-12 Piano Somatics Institute with Alan Fraser 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm CCMS Student Recital – March 13, 2026 March 13 @ 7:00 pm - 8:00 pm CCMS Student Recital – March 13, 2026 Student recitals are part of the Concord Community Music School’s multi-level curriculum for private lesson students. These frequent performance opportunities help our students perform more easily, broaden their musical skills, and help them make new musical friends. This event will be held in our historic Recital Hall. It is free of charge and open to ... Read more	1 event 14 1 event, 14 2026-03-12 Piano Somatics Institute with Alan Fraser
1 event 15 1 event, 15 2026-03-12 Piano Somatics Institute with Alan Fraser Piano Somatics Institute with Alan Fraser	0 events 16 0 events, 16	0 events 17 0 events, 17	0 events 18 0 events, 18	0 events 19 0 events, 19	1 event 20 1 event, 20 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm “A Legacy in Song” (CCMS Voice Dept Recital) March 20 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm “A Legacy in Song” (CCMS Voice Dept Recital) In celebration of Women’s History Month, CCMS voice students (and maybe others) will perform music written by women composers spanning the 19th century to the present. From art song and musical theatre to contemporary pop, this concert honors the creativity, resilience, and enduring influence of women in music, shining a light on both celebrated and ... Read more	1 event 21 1 event, 21 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm 2026 CCMS Jazz Night Fundraiser March 21 @ 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm 2026 CCMS Jazz Night Fundraiser CCMS welcomes the James Fernando Trio back on Saturday, March 21, 2026 to headline our annual Jazz Night Fundraiser, with proceeds benefiting our Financial Aid Fund. Held in our Recital Hall with table seating, this evening features one of today’s most exciting jazz groups: the James Fernando Trio. Fernando is a Philadelphia-based pianist whose ... Read more
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March 4

March 4 @ 6:30 pm - 7:30 pm

All day

March 20 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

“A Legacy in Song” (CCMS Voice Dept Recital)

March 21

March 21 @ 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

2026 CCMS Jazz Night Fundraiser

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March 20

March 20 @ 7:00 pm - 8:30 pm

“A Legacy in Song” (CCMS Voice Dept Recital)

March 21

March 21 @ 5:30 pm - 8:30 pm

2026 CCMS Jazz Night Fundraiser

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