About Us
The Blue Ridge Academy of Music provides absolutely the best value in high-quality private and small-group experiences for music students.
MISSION STATEMENT
To encourage and stimulate every student’s interest and ability and help each to become a confident and capable musician.
OUR GOAL
Efficient progress toward potential, with personalized, high quality guidance.
HIGH QUALITY INSTRUCTION
The owner of the Academy has been a music educator for over 25 years. With a Bachelor of Music degree from The Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford and a Master of Education degree from the University of Virginia, this ‘one-two’ punch ensures that you are receiving the best instruction available.
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Jason Cohen with a student performing his recital
Jason Cohen with a student performing his recital
About Jason Cohen, B.Music, M.Ed
Director and Instructor
After eighteen years in Virginia, teaching music first in the Albemarle County Public Schools followed by experience in Montgomery, Franklin, and Bedford Counties, he opened the Blue Ridge Academy of Music!
He majored in Applied Guitar (performance) at the Hartt School of Music at the University of Hartford, earned his Pre-K through 12 Teacher Certification at Central CT State University, and later earned a Masters at UVa, majoring in School Administration.
His teaching philosophy is performance oriented. He believes in working with each student to set measurable goals for musical accomplishment. Students develop enough new material to perform individual recitals twice each year. Cohen contrasts the value of an individual recital with “those huge group recitals where 200 parents sit for two hours only to hear their child play their two songs for two minutes.”
One of the things he does differently is to record the students as they play in the studio so they can hear how they sound. “Listening to their recordings from the perspective of an audience member allows students to become aware of their musicianship immediately and to improve their playing much more quickly.” said Cohen.
Cohen is a versatile performer himself, having belonged to bands, orchestras, and ensembles of all descriptions.
- Mrs. Turner offers instruction in Voice and Piano/Keyboard.
About Lenora Turner, B.A.
Piano/Keyboard, Voice
Lenora Turner began her own piano lessons at age 6, learning piano and then voice at Virginia Tech continuously through high school and beyond. Her studies at Tech culminated in a B.A. in Music Education. Mrs. Turner then taught elementary music in Montgomery County where she also directed the Montgomery County Girls’ Chorus, a prestigious program for elementary and middle school-aged girls. Mrs. Turner is currently the piano teacher and choral director at William Fleming High School in Roanoke City. She likes to play Rock Band with her children and believes that the earlier a student can be introduced to music, the more benefit there is to the child’s development. “I truly love working with students of all ages, and I love sharing my joy of music with them.”
Interested in teaching at the Blue Ridge Academy of Music?
Send your resume via email or snail mail with a cover letter that describes how teaching here would be good for you and for the academy. Please include at least three references, two of which should be professional. Preference is given to candidates with public school experience and licensure. Teacher candidates must be able to pass a state police background check.
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