Have you ever played Mozart in the middle of a brewery just for fun? That’s exactly what happened in early January when local Young ACMP members met up at Grimm Ales in Brooklyn. We co-hosted the event with ACMP member Ben Bregman, who brought music, friends new to ACMP, and a few of his young students and their parents.

It was great to see so many people connecting through music. Some attendees joined ACMP after the event, and a few mentioned they had heard about it from the flyers Stephanie, our Executive Director, had posted around Brooklyn.

This gathering was a good reminder that chamber music can happen anywhere, even over a pint.

Read about a couple of the new friends who joined us: 

Rayon Alshahrani

Ray Alshahrani is the proprietor of New York String Source, In his business, he provides rentals for all manner of clients that need instrument rentals. He is also a luthier, making repairs and building instruments. But despite being surrounded by music and musicians, he doesn’t always find the time for chamber music. “I haven’t really played in 11 years,” he said as he took a break from Haydn and Mozart.

Daniel Tomlinson 

Daniel Tomlinson heard about the play-in from a flyer in a coffee shop nearby on Grand Street. He’s glad to have an opportunity to play with others. Like many ACMP members, he returned to the violin after a break. 

“During the pandemic, I started taking lessons again,” he said. When he saw the flyer, he saw the play-in as a chance to connect with other musicians.

What is “Young ACMP”?

If you are forty and under, you can update your ACMP profile by adding your birth year and then check the box for “Young ACMP.” And then other players forty and under can find you in the ACMP Directory of Chamber Musicians by checking the “Advanced Search” toggle and then checking the toggle for “Young ACMP Members.” Note that the website will ask for your full birthdate, but all you need to give us is the year. We will be changing that soon.)

We added the “Young ACMP” category in response to players in their 20s and 30s telling us they were having trouble finding players closer to their age. So please check that box if you qualify! We are hoping to build that community and host more social events like the Chamber Music Jam in Brooklyn.

Speaking of which – the next one is on Monday, April 13 at 6pm at Grimm Artisanal Ales. RSVP by April 10.

And here’s an official call-out to ACMP members outside New York City who might like to organize something like this in their home towns. We are here to help – just email me at jbrock@acmp.net.