May 2023 Newsletter
| 🍎 Teacher Appreciation! We would like to take the time to thank all the teachers in our community and a special THANK YOU to those that are part of our ChicagoSMA family! ☀️ Summer is almost here – don’t forget to sign up for a musical summer! We have options for you: |
| Award-Winning Programming: Congratulations to Willard Elementary’s Music Program!  We would like to CONGRATULATE the Willard Elementary Music Program for winning the Support Music Merit from the National Association of Music Merchants. ChicagoSMA is a proud partner of Willard Elementary. With the assistance of Mr. Arturo Fuerte and Right At School, ChicagoSMA provides the Rock Band Program at Willard, which now boasts 57 participating students (11 bands total). CHEERS AND THANK YOU TO OUR PARTNER, WILLARD ELEMENTARY, AND ALL OF THE STUDENTS, FAMILIES, AND STAFF! “Willard Elementary was the only elementary school in Illinois to receive the Support Music Merit Award from the National Association of Music Merchants! It’s Willard’s FIFTH year in a row being recognized for its school-based music education program, which includes an after-school program where students create their own rock bands.”— Evanston District 65 “This recondition is a testament to the students’ hard work and dedication […] They are so eager to speak the language of music and their energy shows in their work. The students are the ones that are out there performing and representing Willard in our community. They deserve the accolade!” – Art Fuerte, Willard Music Teacher & ChicagoSMA Community Partner |
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| ROCK OUT with Chicago SMA – Hootenanny 2023 |
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| Join us to Rock Out with our Willard Elementary bands on May 30, 2023 at 7pm at the Fleetwood Jourdain Center in Evanston, IL. Band autograph signing immediately following. Everyone Welcome! |
 Artist-Teacher Spotlight: Sasha Brusin Originally from Novi Sad, Serbia, Sasha Brusin’s musical education and performance experience spans Europe and the United States. He is comfortable and proficient on guitar, electric bass, and ukulele in many styles of music, including Jazz, Rock, Funk, R&B, Blues, Latin, Brazilian, to European ethnic blends, adding decades of experience in performing, instructing, recording, and audio production. Sasha has over 35 years experience as an instructor and over 40 years performance experience, including international festivals, radio and TV appearances, as well as internationally distributed recordings. Sasha has had the pleasure and honor to have performed with and/or appeared on recordings with members of Deep Purple, Cream, The Doobie Brothers, King Crimson, Fleetwood Mac, Iron Maiden, as well as a variety of artists such as James Darren, Billy Branch, The Buddy Rich Big Band, Lenny Williams, to name a few. Sasha’s teaching style is characterized by a personal and individual approach to each student, utilizing musical material, exercises and songs that the student will enjoy practicing, while covering all the essential elements of learning their chosen instrument. |