Students come together to perform as a group, but also have the opportunity to split into sections to focus on their instrument.

NORTH ADAMS, Massachusetts – More and more students are getting into the swing of things with BAAMS’ Summer Jazz Band Day Camp, which celebrated its sixth annual event this week.

Richard Boulger, founder and director of Berkshire’s Academy of Advanced Musical Studies, said 35 students attended the camp this year, and although the majority are from Berkshire County, students from the Boston area and New York state also participated.

“I think the word about BAAMS is spreading throughout Berkshire County and beyond,” he said. “…I would say what makes us so special is that we really care about our students. We focus on each of our kids and don’t take a cookie-cutter approach to teaching.”

The camp took place this week, August 12-16, and students ages 12 to 18 learned alongside world-class musicians, including drummer Tony Lewis, bassist Alex Blake, saxophonist and woodwind player Ada Rovatti, singer Jim Taft, pianist Dario Boente and Boulger himself, who plays trumpet.

“We have really nice, really wonderful teachers. For our kids this year. That’s the most kids we’ve ever had,” Boulger said. “We bring the very best musicians here so the students don’t have to drive to New York City, Boston or anywhere else. They can learn from the best here in Berkshire County. They can really have this amazing experience and it’s really transformative.”

Rovatti added that in addition to new students, she is also happy to welcome returning students, which will allow musical relationships to continue to grow.

“The relationships they build at BAAMS are incredible. I love that many of the same students come back. It means we’re doing something good,” she said. “They come back for more.”

In previous camps, Boulger said, the focus has been on playing and understanding music by ear, but this year, he added, music stands will be set up.

“We’re expanding the experience for our kids, while still emphasizing, of course, the ear and the ability to hear music. We really want our kids to have a comprehensive experience in reading music,” he said. “…So we’ve written arrangements and also created some original music based on the kids themselves. So we’re kind of adding another component, which is reading music while creating original music.”

Rovatt, who is also an accomplished arranger, said that with a larger student population, it is important to provide all students with the scores so they are all working with the same reference.

“We’re still guided by what you hear because ultimately you want it to sound and feel good, but as a school you also want to give students the tools. If they want to take it to another level, they need music,” she said. “They need to have an idea of ​​how to expand the vocabulary and because there are so many students, you need some kind of structure.”

Rovatti added that they meet with students of all levels, helping new musicians with the basics while showing more advanced students groundbreaking tools and a stage to find their voice and sound.

She added that they teach more than just jazz theory and improvisation, they also teach students a universal language that can open many doors for them.

“Music is a safe environment … a place where children can open their hearts and minds and have fun alone or with company,” she said. “It’s crazy that you can play with someone from Kazakhstan and communicate with that player through music.”

A typical day at camp begins with some music theory. The group works on different scales and studies different chords, which are later applied to an arrangement where the students can improvise.

Boulger said Building 6, BAAMS’ headquarters, is divided into several studios that allow for instrument-specific breakout sessions.

“By setting up this building, there are several smaller studio spaces where our teachers can work with the kids,” he said. “They can go through things that are specific to their instrument. So we can really give the kids the most positive experience in a more isolated musical experience.”

The camp ended on Friday with a private gala performance at Waubeeka Golf Links, where BAAMS teachers played alongside students.

Taft said the experience was also enriching for the faculty as it allowed them to share the knowledge they had acquired over the years.

“I hope to inspire these young musicians as much as I was inspired by my elders,” he said. “… And we’re all still learning. We’re just further along in our musical development.”

Taft, who like Boulger is from North Adams, said he is excited to come home and pass on some of what he has learned over the years to the students.

“There’s nothing like it to teach, to inspire and to pass on that knowledge,” he said. “We’ve all gained knowledge out in the world and to come home and teach the kids growing up in the same area I grew up in is an incredible thing.”