Hello Everyone,
This will be my very first official blog, and why did it take me so long to create a blog you may ask? In all honesty, it was strictly a privacy issue I had with sharing too much of my personal life and having it broadcasted on social media for the masses to read. I do realize blogs do not have to be ultra personal, or even relate to the writer’s lifestyle. In this particular case being a small business owner and musician “with a bit of history” will be difficult to avoid on occasion. I am one of those old school purists who resist the way social media has intruded our lives this past decade or so. Nothing is sacred because we get up to the minute news threads and feeds through our mobile devices and computers, which are now conveniently stationed in our pockets or next to our beds 24/7. This is not a knock by any means, just a reality of where we are as a society currently. Any tidbit of information we have a yearning to digest is readily available at the push of a button.
Now that I got that off of my chest let’s talk about some exciting news regarding the academy and our future going forward. This past March, right before the quarantine was administered we moved into our new location on 77 Railroad Street in the Fine Line dance building. I cannot express how excited we are to join forces with Scott & Elizabeth, it was inevitable that this happened, and in the works for quite some time actually. I always wanted us to be closer to the downtown district of New Milford and felt lost and somewhat isolated at our former location. Having a complex that combines music with dance under the same roof is heaven scent and only makes sense for our community. The arts are so vitally important when it comes to enriching a person’s life, and many wonderful opportunities will present themselves as time goes on. It’s hard to believe next spring will be our five year anniversary, which is a pretty huge milestone we will most definitely be celebrating, stay tuned for details as it gets closer to the end of this year.
Another big announcement is the advent of “Bearclaw’s Basement”. I have been under constant self-scrutiny while trying to navigate the business remotely due to Covid-19 affecting our lives and the way we conduct business. The virtual lessons have been working out much better than expected, and something we will continue to offer once we can get back to business teaching students in person one on one again. The whole Zoom vs. Face Time has also been an interesting dynamic to encounter, and never in a million years would I have thought we would go down this avenue of full-time music instruction from the comfort of our own homes. Sometimes it’s the adversity in life that pushes us to think outside of the box, and this is exactly what it did for me. I am now at a point in my life where I find it necessary sharing thoughts, ideas or even conversations with friends about life as an artist, educator and business owner. Which brings me to us introducing Bearclaw’s Basement, a media platform designed to allow us to communicate via blogs, video education, interviews/testimonials and fund raising to assist with our exorbitant over-head costs. We hope to be up and running with “BB” by September coinciding with the kids getting back in session, stay tuned as it gets closer to the fall. Thank you again for your support over these past 4.5 years of fruitful growth, and for your loyalty to a mission being accomplished every year that passes by us. Music, it heals the soul and enriches the mind. Warm regards,
Joseph Burcaw
