The lady is fond of telling me that I’d make a terrible detective. And, despite said limitation, even I can recognize that there’s some truth to this characterization. In this particular instance, the thing I’ve been busy not noticing, despite being a music fan and music maker in this city for several years, not to mention having represented many NYC nonprofits as an attorney, is the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music. Indeed I knew nothing about it until I happened to walk by.

The Conservatory, housed in a striking Victorian mansion in Park Slope, offers a wide variety of classes and lessons–classical, jazz, and contemporary; theory, ear training, vocal, instrumental; etc.–for, as its site says, “students ranging in age from 18 months to adult.” And as if taking the lead in training today’s musically precocious toddlers weren’t enough, it also runs several outreach programs and hosts concerts; one tip: if you go in for the trad jazz thing and live in the NYC area, you should check out Kenny Barron on March 27.

Basically, after doing some research and stopping by to check the place out, I’m left wondering how I failed to notice such an amazing resource until now. So to make up for lost time, I’ve already enrolled in a Music Technology class, where I’m learning lots of sequencing and recording tips and tricks. I guess that what I lack in sleuthing skills I hope to make up for in audio engineering ability.