Sep 3, 2025 12:02 PM
Keeping the Flame at Van Gelder Studio
On the last Sunday of 2024, in the control room of Van Gelder Studio, Don and Maureen Sickler, co-owners since Rudy Van…
Kaya Baird, 9, studies the art of improvisation with jazz pianist Jeremy Siskind during the 2019 Yamaha Music School Music Camp.
(Photo: Courtesy Yamaha Corporation of America)Students ages 8 to 15 had the opportunity to meet and learn from acclaimed musicians—including pianist Jeremy Siskind and Grammy-winning drummer M.B. Gordy—during a recent music camp held at the headquarters of Yamaha Corporation of America in Buena Park, California.
The five-day summer camp in July hosted 50 youngsters who attend Yamaha Music Schools throughout North America. The students took lessons, attended workshops, performed together, made new friends and learned firsthand about the music industry. Participants also performed daily concerts for employees and guests.
On the final day of the camp, nine students performed on the front steps and lawn of the Yamaha campus. The concert, which drew more than 100 audience members, featured the kids’ original compositions. Several Yamaha employees performed with the students, including clarinetist Rory Mazela, marketing specialist for wind instruments, and drummer Joel Tetzlaff, marketing development specialist for drums.
Following the concert, campers visited the Grammy Museum in Los Angeles, where they learned about the history of American music through artifacts and interactive exhibits.
“Creating new music-makers and being close to our customers is very important to Yamaha, demonstrated by the fact that we opened our doors to children and their families for four days,” said Mike Morrell, manager for music education. “We were so energized by the way the children and parents responded. The friendships and experiences that were developed during the camp will be deeply valued for years to come, by both Yamaha and the camp attendees.”
Established in 1954, Yamaha Music Education programs enhance the offerings of music schools and music instrument dealers in 40 countries worldwide. In the United States, more than 60 locations are authorized to offer Yamaha Music School programs. To date, more than six million students from around the world have graduated from the program. DB
Don and Maureen Sickler serve as the keepers of engineer Rudy Van Gelder’s flame at Van Gelder Studio, perhaps the most famous recording studio in jazz history.
Sep 3, 2025 12:02 PM
On the last Sunday of 2024, in the control room of Van Gelder Studio, Don and Maureen Sickler, co-owners since Rudy Van…
Jack DeJohnette boasted a musical resume that was as long as it was fearsome.
Oct 28, 2025 10:47 AM
Jack DeJohnette, a bold and resourceful drummer and NEA Jazz Master who forged a unique vocabulary on the kit over his…
Trio aRT with its avalanche of instrumentation: from left, Pheeroan akLaff, Scott Robinson and Julian Thayer.
Sep 3, 2025 12:03 PM
Trio aRT, a working unit since 1988, shockingly released its very first studio recording this summer. Recorded in…
“Think of all the creative people I’m going to meet and a whole other way of thinking about music and a challenge of singing completely different material than I would have sung otherwise to my highest level in dedication to the moment,” Elling says about his Broadway run.
Sep 9, 2025 1:18 PM
Kurt Elling was back at home in Chicago, grabbing some family time in a late-June window between gigs. Sporting a smile…
Pat Metheny will perform with his Side-Eye III ensemble at Big Ears 2026 in Knoxville, Tennessee, next March.
Sep 9, 2025 12:19 PM
Big Ears has announced the lineup for its 2026 festival, which will take place March 26–29 and include 250…
