Amid the wide and varied sounds of the Rockaway summer music scene, a sonic idea started four years ago is once again making itself clearly heard.
Playing venues from baseball grounds to the beach, Rockaway Chamber Music (RCM), under the guidance of founder Emily Brausa, is an everchanging ensemble that, depending on the music performed, may feature strings, brass, drums or even students creating percussion with boxes filled with rice. They are now entering their fourth season of making beautiful and interesting music in offbeat places.
Cellist, professional musician, surfer and Rockaway resident Brausa noted “RCM unofficially started Season Four a couple weeks ago when we performed the national anthem at the Brooklyn Cyclones game on Rockaway Night! I was tickled that someone from the sports world was able to discover us, and it was a reminder that our footprint is growing.”
For fans and those who want to have fun and hear what they’re about, RCM will be performing on the boardwalk at Beach 19th Street on Sunday, June 14, starting 7 p.m. The free event will feature a combo of cello, bass, trombone and soprano. BYO beach towels/chairs.
On Sunday, June 28, RCM will open at 7 p.m. with a clarinet and a string quartet at the Arverne Cinema at 72-02 Gouverneur Ave, just blocks off Rockaway Beach Blvd. The $10 ticket will also include a screening of the soccer-themed comedy “Stubby”.
RCM will return to Arverne Cinema, with flute and a string quartet, on Sunday, July 26 at 7 p.m., before a yet-to-be-announced film. Tickets for all Arverne Cinema shows are at www.rockawayfilmfestival.org/programs
Bring your blankets, beach chairs and towels to RCM’s final concert, under the A train El at Beach 62nd Street on Sunday, August 23 at 7 p.m. Making music will be a string trio and a brass trio for a laid-back, under the tracks echoing evening.
“From the beginning,” Brausa says, “I have wanted RCM to grow organically and through word-of-mouth human connections. I am so happy this is happening as we continue to bring a new style of music to our community.”
Indeed, far from the formal concert halls, the wide, varied music RCM makes across the peninsula has been gathering new interest, new fans and anticipation. Many people have stopped Brausa, asking when and where they’ll be playing this summer. Back in April, one fan told her, that “June was too far away” to wait.
An audience member told her she “was ‘transported’” during a concert last summer. Another “now has ‘chamber music’ on her Spotify playlist.”
Meanwhile, Brausa notes, within the classical community, “RCM is also developing a bit of a reputation.” So much so that, “This summer I have been able to hire these sought-after musicians much further in advance, as many of my colleagues want to prioritize playing our fun and artistically fulfilling concerts.
“RCM concerts are social (events) and cultivate an atmosphere of approachable experience. Classical music unfortunately has had a history of stigma and rules, but at RCM we don’t care if you clap at the wrong time. We want community members to experience the joy and intimacy of classical chamber music, while also feeling comfortable engaging with musicians to ask questions or share reactions.”
Their chosen venues definitely make for a uniquely Rockaway experience. RCM “is also different from traditional concerts in that we embrace, rather than fear, the ambient sounds of our surroundings.
“Don’t get me wrong,’ Brausa said, “There’s nothing quite like playing classical chamber music in the silence of one of our great halls, such as Carnegie or Alice Tully. But Rockaway’s urban, coastal living is unique, and we want to celebrate our birds, planes, trains, and wind with a new approach to music making.” She also credits her sound engineers for still making every sound crystal clear.
Making all this possible, beyond organizing, and bringing musicians and pieces together, Brausa has been writing grants, and is now proud and grateful to have the support of Flushing Town Hall, the Queens Arts Fund, Far Rockaway Arverne Nonprofit Coalition, and the NYC Green Fund.
Professionally she’s been busy performing chamber music throughout the country with pianist Teddy Robie, and maintaining her freelance musical career through subbing on Broadway shows such as “Hamilton,” “& Juliet,” “Maybe Happy Ending,” and “Titanique.”
She has also been performing with the American Symphony Orchestra and American Ballet Theater, and playing various recording and single-engagements that remind her “why NYC is the best city in the world to do what I do.” She recently appeared with the Queens Symphony Orchestra in a program sponsored by Councilwoman Joann Ariola at Russo’s in Howard Beach.
This summer, RCM will feature two specially commissioned works “inspired by the sounds and landscape of Rockaway.” The first, written by Ihlara McIndoe for voice, trombone, cello, and bass, will grace their June 14 concert. “Frankly, I am giddy with excitement! I really think it’s going to be special for Rockaway,” Brausa said.
August 23 will showcase a piece for mixed strings and brass by Anthony Barfield, who attended Julliard with Brausa. “Now he is an Emmy-nominated composer and multi-platinum producer,” Brausa shared. ”I cannot wait to hear what he’s cooking up!”
The group is also starting an RCM Street Team volunteer program to help with postering and day-of-concert production activities. Email emily@rockawaychambermusic.org for info.
Keep up with RCM @rockawaychambermusic on Instagram, at www.rockawaychambermusic.org, sign up for their email list and catch their music videos on the Rockaway Chamber Music’s You Tube page.
“We perform for the entire community of all ages, political affiliations, and races, including weekend visitors,” Brausa said. “Through producing accessible outdoor classical music concerts at different venues and unconventional locations that are often overlooked for artistic programming, we aim to attract and bring together an audience that is a reflection of the robust diversity of Rockaway Beach residents.”
Haven’t experienced RCM yet? Brausa says “If you’re not sure whether or not you like classical music, come check us out this summer — we do it a little bit differently in Rockaway!”
Photos by Nick Karp and Dan Guarino.
