Brooklyn Music School Announces St. Felix Centennial Gala Featuring Grammy Winner Arturo O'Farrill

Brooklyn Music School (BMS) announces the St. Felix Street Centennial Gala on Thursday, October 25, 2018 from 6pm-10pm at DUMBO Loft, 155 Water Street, Brooklyn, NY. Tickets range from $100 - $500, and sponsorship levels are available from $1,000 - $10,000. Tickets and Sponsorship Packages are available at https://www.nycharities.org/events/EventLevels.aspx?etid=10658.

The evening features Grammy Award winner Arturo O'Farrill, recognized as one of the greatest names in Latin jazz today and founder of the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, as guest host.

"Learning music and playing music has incredible parallels for our day-to-day existence as human beings. All the ideas of discipline and having a sense of yourself and translating that to music, that's all part of life's journey," said Arturo O'Farrill.

A hundred years ago, the Brooklyn Music School had outgrown its location on Grand Avenue at the converted "Tub of Blood Saloon," which had been home to a notorious New York gang in the 19th century before becoming a community music school in 1909. The school's founders had the vision to move into a new location on St. Felix Street, next to the Brooklyn Academy of Music Opera House in the heart of Ft. Greene.

Over the following century, the school has grown from serving 250 students to 8,000 students at our historic home on St. Felix and across New York City.

"Over the decades, the Brooklyn Music School has maintained our distinctive approach to bringing the joy of music and performing arts to all ages, ethnic groups, and abilities and embracing the rich tapestry of musical traditions that make Brooklyn a musical melting pot of creativity," said Crocker Coulson, Chair of the Board of Trustees. "The enormous growth in served students in recent years, ranging from toddlers to seniors, speaks to the dire need for music and performing arts education in our community. The data are conclusive: quality music instruction has a dramatic impact on both academic performance and life outcomes, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. This is a chance to celebrate what the team at BMS has achieved and look forward to the future!"

For more information, visit www.brooklynmusicschool.org.