Frequently Asked Questions
How do I sign up for ``specials``?
Specials, now called Xplorations, are open to all students enrolled in BFX and no sign-up is needed at the time of program enrollment. Each day features an Xploration and all students are welcome to participate or choose another activity. Please note that we are purposefully limiting the number of Xploration offerings as the program launches this school year. The variety of Xplorations will grow depending on enrollment and student interest.
What is the schedule of Xplorations?
Xplorations and the days they will be offered will vary throughout the semester. Students will be welcome to participate in the Xploration offered on the days they attend. BFX is designed to provide a rich daily experience for our extended day students. The Xplorations schedule for winter/spring 2023 is below.
Tell me more about the Xplorations.
THE XPLORATIONS
Art with Isaac: Create and express yourself using a wide variety of materials. Fun and engaging!
Centerstage An interactive experience centered around theatre, drama, playmaking, improvisation, and more! There will be workshops with visiting theatre artists. The semester will finish with an original play written and performed by students.
Chess Learn to play chess through storytelling, a method that helps children understand and love the game!
Common Ground: Students work together in small groups to find a topic of interest, discussing and working on related crafts and projects. Some past topics have included themes such as Harry Potter, Star Wars, and the Book series, Warrior Cats.
CinemaKitchen Come play with your food at the CinemaKidz cooking show! Students design the look and feel of the show, make an apron for the series, work in the test kitchen experimenting with recipes to feature in each episode, and get the opportunity to act, direct, film and edit the episodes!
Cooking: Creative, simple, playful, yummy recipes and snacks.
Lego League: Students explore science, technology, engineering, and math (STEM) through fun and exciting hands-on learning, gaining real-world problem solving experience through a guided robotics program. Students will work together to construct and code a Lego robot to accomplish mission objectives.
Let’s Make a Movie: Make your very own movie from start to finish! Kids will learn the step-by-step processes of filmmaking, from coming up with a synopsis and writing a script to filming that script and editing the footage into a final product. Students are already well-versed in visual language through movies, TV and the Internet; this is a fun way to combine that visual literacy with the writing skills they learn at school to create simple stories for the big and small screen.
Mystery Fridays: A surprise guest, activity or event each Friday!
Science: Engage in experiments. Interactive, fun and hands-on!
Songwriting: Join the Songwriting Xploration with Melanie! Learn songs of your choice, write your own, and make up your own dances. We end the semester with a performance of all our songs!
The Other Side: A space for students to explore gender equality, and create connection with girls at an all-girls’ school in India using drama activities, “real talk”, and cross-cultural exchange. (“RealTalk” is an Xploration from last year/semester where students got to speak openly and bravely about topics important to them.)
Student Leaders: Everyone has something special and unique to share! In this Xploration, students will prepare and teach something they are passionate about. From drawing, to Pokemon, sports, and sharing family heritage and traditions, the 3rd, 4th, 5th and 6th graders will get an opportunity lead an activity with our younger students during a Mystery Friday!
Yoga: Learn poses, deep breathing and improve concentration. Age-appropriate instruction.
Will there be a ``drop-in`` option?
Yes. Occasional drop-in will be available on a space-available basis. The fee is $60 and this will be billed to your account.
What is the refund policy?
There will be no refunds. When enrolling in BFX, we ask that you consider your needs carefully before signing up.
Will I be charged a fee if my child is late being picked up?
BFX will dismiss at 5:30. After that, you will be charged a late fee of $25 which will be billed to your account.
Will there be private music lessons?
At this time, we are making the decision to pause the private music lessons due to current COVID-19 considerations. As soon as it is safely possible, we will reinstate the music program. We are pleased to provide the information and contact details for several private music instructors below. BFS is providing this information as a courtesy to our families. The music instructors listed here are not BFS employees and any arrangements made are strictly between the instructor and the family.
Peck Allmond
Instruments: Trumpet, Saxophone, Flute, Clarinet
Peck Allmond is a multi-instrumentalist and bandleader based in Brooklyn since 1993, playing the unusual combination of trumpet and woodwinds. He has performed and recorded on these instruments with James Brown, Lenny Kravitz, Rickie Lee Jones, Meshell NdegeOcello, Rufus Wainwright, Randy Newman, Ray Lamontagne, Sean Lennon and many others. Peck’s jazz credits include Oliver Lake, Don Cherry, Pharoah Sanders, Richie Cole, John Hicks, Madeline Peyroux, Eddie Marshall and many more. His compositions were featured in performance by the late jazz legend Jackie McLean.
Peck began teaching informally when he was 16 years old. He has always had a special place in his heart for it – whether on brass, reeds, improvisation, theory, ear-training, or musicianship. Currently on the faculty of the New York Jazz Academy, he has taught extensively for Jazz at Lincoln Center, and was Traveling Trumpet Clinician for the Monterey Jazz Festival for 12 years. He began teaching afterschool lessons at Brooklyn Friends School in 2008 and teaches privately as well. His philosophy of teaching has always been to meet the student where they are and customize a course of study that will meet their unique abilities and needs.
Contact: peckallmond@yahoo.com
Nicholas Cudahy
Instruments: Guitar, Bass Guitar, Upright Bass
Nick studied in the Contemporary Improvisation department at New England Conservatory of Music and holds a BS in biology from Tufts University. He has performed a wide range of genres including Jazz, Rock, West African, Cumbia, Klezmer, and Balinese Gamelan. He was contributing composer on the film Four Rooms (executive producer Quentin Tarantino). Locally he has performed at diverse venues such as CBGB, Birdland, Beacon Theater, and he has travelled to four continents as a member of various ensembles. More detailed bio: www.linkedin.com/in/nicholascudahy
Contact: nickcudahy@gmail.com
Legera Danielides
Instruments: Voice
Known for her “warm and rich” timbre, singer Legera Danielides trained in classical voice but is skilled in an array of genres,including jazz and music theatre. Legera received her Bachelor’s degree in Voice at Stetson University and her Masters in Voice at DePaul University. She has sung in both Europe and the US and made her debut at the Oslo Opera house singing the role of Petra in Sondheim’s, A Little Night Music. Other roles include Lucy Barrow McIntire in the world premier of Michael Ching’s opera Anna Hunter in Savannah, Georgia; Fosca in Stephen Sondheim’s musical, Passion in New York City; Zia in Ciao Bambino, in New York City. Ms. Meddlock (The Secret Garden) Pauline (No no, Nanette) Mercedes (Carmen) Nancy (Albert Herring) Leonie (La Vie Parisienne) Leila (Iolanthe) Abbess (Suor Angelica) and Meg (Falstaff). She has also sung with prestigious companies such as The Aspen Music Festival, the Savannah Voice Festival, the VoicExperience program, Musica Nelle Marche in Italy, Spotlight on Opera, and First Coast Opera.
Contact: legeradanielides@gmail.com
Yukihiro Furui
Instruments: Percussion
Yuki is a percussionist and teacher of both music and Japanese language who has been teaching in New York City for the past 27 years. Yuki has worked with a variety of age groups and believes in instilling a balance of joy and discipline in both his students and his teaching practice. Yuki has taught in schools including Brooklyn Friends School, Ethical Culture Fieldston School, and Little Red Rocket. Originally from Japan, Yuki studied music theory and performance at the Ann Contemporary Music School in Kyoto. Yuki has performed extensively in New York City, at venues such as Village Vanguard, Blue Note, and Cotton Club to name a few. Yuki continues to perform around New York City and enjoys bringing people together through music. Yuki is versatile in a range of genres including, blues, jazz, classical, classic rock, world music, folk, and popular music.
Contact: yukipercussion27@gmail.com
Noah Garabedian
Instruments: Upright Bass, Electric Bass, Piano, Composition/Song-writing, Beginning Guitar
Noah holds a BA in Ethnomusicology from the The University of California Los Angeles, and a Master’s in Music Performance from New York University. He is currently a 2021 Artist Fellow for Creative Armenia and AGBU. In October 2020 he premiered a commission from the Peace Resource Center at Wilmington College. Noah is a 2016 Fulbright Specialist Grant recipient, 2011 ISB Double Bass Competition finalist, 2007 finalist for the Thelonious Monk Institute of Jazz graduate program, and 2006 John Coltrane National Scholarship recipient.
As an educator Noah has worked with Jazz At Lincoln Center’s Jazz For Young People program, the Stanford Jazz Workshop, NYU, and The New School. Noah has performed and toured with Ravi Coltrane, Jeff “Tain” Watts, Andy Milne, and Ralph Alessi. Additionally he is a two-time Arts Envoy recipient with the US State Department where he performed and taught throughout Asia and the Middle East.
Contact: noahgarabedian@gmail.com
Jessica Jones
Instruments: Saxophone, Piano
Jessica Jones started and ran the jazz program at Brooklyn Friends School for 18 years. Throughout that time, she led the Jessica Jones Quartet, which features her original music and has several critically acclaimed recordings out and played festivals and major clubs on the East and West Coasts.
She is active as a composer and sidewoman as well. Jones received an inaugural Jerome Artist Fellowship Award in 2019 as well as grants from the NEA, South Arts Jazz Road program, and the Jubilation Foundation.
Jones is an innovative jazz educator and consultant, working with children on improvisation and composition for Jazz at Lincoln Center, Stanford Jazz Workshop, the Vision Festival, and others. Currently, she is an Artistic Director for REVA, Inc, a non-profit created to use creative arts to inspire, educate and heal people and communities. www.revainc.org
Contact: jesstenor@verizon.net
Luke Krafka
Instruments: Cello
Luke Krafka, (BM & MM from The Boston Conservatory, Artist Diploma from CUNY) has performed as a chamber musician and soloist throughout the United States, Western Europe, Canada, China and Mexico. A Grammy Winner and winner of multiple chamber music competitions including Alexander/Buono international chamber competition and ICCEC Chamber Competition, he and his duo partner (Ann Bermont) co-founded the Halcyon Chamber Music Series in Brooklyn, NY in 2014. Since then, they have put on over 50 concerts, collaborating with some of the best musicians in the city. Recently, Luke released his debut solo album ‘Folklore’, featuring solo cello works by Bach, Ligeti and Kodaly. The album can be found on all major streaming platforms.
Contact: luke.krafka@gmail.com
Joel Lambdin
Instruments: Violin, Viola, Music Technology
Joel Lambdin has performed as a violinist On and Off Broadway, at Radio City and Carnegie, and on national tours supporting international stars. He has also been involved in creative projects that range from metal bands to chamber music, often contributing his own music which usually blends acoustic and electronic sounds. As an educator, Joel has taught individual violin and viola lessons to beginners at BFS, Packer Collegiate, and privately, as well as holding college level posts at Elizabethtown College and Green Mountain Chamber Music Festival. He has also offered electronic music classes using GarageBand, Ableton Live, and BandLab at Abrons Art Center, University High School, BFS, Bennett Conservatory, and Horizons summer camps. He has worked as a teaching artist for the Chamber Music Society of Lincoln Center and Brooklyn Philharmonic among others.
Contact: plagueoffrogs@gmail.com