Overwhelming enrollment spurs BAM expansion

CEBU, Philippines - Brown Academy of Music (BAM) presented their third major concert of the year, titled “BAM! POP!” at The Terraces at Ayala Center Cebu last October 8. The show featured 70 students and 10 faculty members from the school performing a variety of pop music from the 1960s to current hits.

This batch of students – taking up voice, guitar, bass guitar, keyboard, drums, violin and saxophone – had been enrolled since June 2016. The students ranged in age from 6 years old and up, even including a mother of one of the students. The mom, Janelle Taft, had been waiting with the other parents as her son, JP, took keyboard lessons when she decided to enroll herself in the voice program last summer. “BAM! POP!” was her second concert with BAM.

The concert included songs in English, Bisaya and Tagalog, and from such artists as Simon and Garfunkel and The Beatles to Beyonce and Justin Timberlake. Near the end of the show, two BAM students who are active in the Cebu music scene, Von Saw (MOR Pinoy Music Award winner and cast member of the Bisaya musical “Gugmang Giatay”) and Emmy Corpus (Viva recording artist) joined teacher Jacky Chang for a performance of her single “Pero Atik Ra,” currently #2 on the MOR music charts.

Another crowd favorite were visually impaired twins, Christopher and Christian Faelner, who not only sang but played the guitar and keyboard. The show closed with all 70 students onstagevsinging together.

 Enrollment from the June to October batch topped 110 in total, including  students enrolled in the Children’s Music program (ages six months to five years old) as well as short-term students who visit Cebu from abroad. In the three months since summer, the school has taught visiting students from Korea, Thailand, Australia, Canada and the United States.

 BAM has been open since January of this year and in that time has taught over 400 students. The school has recently expanded an additional 60 square meters at their location in Banilad, adding a large rehearsal space, an additional teaching room, a faculty work room, and additional waiting area for students and parents.

 Last June, the school also launched its Elite BAMStars, a by-audition group that is directed and produced by BAM owner Anna Fegi-Brown. In just their first few months in existance, the group has opened for or performed in shows along with artists such as Gerald Anderson, Bea Alonzo, Bailey May, Donna Cruz, Marissa Sanchez, Matteo Guidicelli and Anna Fegi-Brown.

Enrollment is currently open for the Christmas batch which will have a culminating holiday show in December. Those interested may call (032) 410-7580 or visit BAM on the 2nd floor of the Northgate Centre in Banilad along Gov. M Cuenco Avenue. (PR)(FREEMAN)