Sunburst News - September 2026

September 2026 - Issue #109

Music Together Fall Enrollment

Enrollment is open for our Fall Music Together sessions! Classes begin the week of September 1. Sign up today to join in on the fun!

Mixed-Age Class | Ages 0-5

Join our Music Together Mixed Ages class and experience the joy of making music as children ages 0-5 and their caregivers sing, dance, and play instruments together!

Rhythm Kids | Ages 4-5

Discover the joy of Rhythm Kids Level I, where children ages 4-5 explore drumming, rhythm, and creative music-making in this fun and engaging class!

For more information and to sign up, check out the link below!

Enroll here

2026 Summer Camp Recap

What an awesome summer it’s been! Our 2026 Summer Camps were packed with music-making, creativity, and fun as campers transformed from eager learners into rockstars. From learning new instruments and forming bands to shooting music videos and performing live on stage, our campers did it all!

Check out the full recap and photo gallery on our website to relive the magic!

Read more here

Calling all Studio Ghibli Fans!

Calling Miyazaki fans everywhere! Our next Sunburst Cabaret celebrates the music of the Studio Ghibli film collection. Join us on Friday, September 18 from 7-8 PM to hear selections from favorites like Howl's Moving Castle, My Neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service, Princess Mononoke, and more performed by Sunburst students and staff.

Date : Friday, September 18th

Time : 7pm

Location : Sunburst School of Music, 5843 Forbes Avenue

Get tickets here

House Band Auditions

Exciting news! Auditions for the next season of the Sunburst House Band are officially right around the corner!

The House Band is our all-star group for musicians ages 10–17 who are ready to turn up the volume, bring their energy to the stage, and take their playing to the next level. We’re talking headlining sets at our Winter and Spring Showcases, awesome pop up gigs throughout the year, as well as other exciting opportunities.

Each student auditioning will choose a 2 minute excerpt of a song that best shows off their musicianship and will perform it in front of our judges. To be eligible for the house band auditions, students must be between the ages 10–17 and currently enrolled in lessons or one of our other programs. Once accepted, House Band participation is FREE for students who are also in a Sunburst Band Program Group. Otherwise, it’s the same cost as the band program.

Auditions will be held Friday, September 11th from 5pm-7pm. If you want to participate but can’t make that date, let us know and we’ll set up a private audition.

We can’t wait to see you rock the audition. Good luck!

Squirrel Hill Night Market

The third Squirrel Hill Night Market of 2026 is this month. Join us the evening of September 26th for a night of great food, vibes, and music!

Fall Band Program

Have you ever dreamed about being in a band? The Sunburst Band Program lets students experience the joy of collaborating with their peers, where they learn to blend their unique talents, listen to one another, and create a truly unified sound. As part of the band you will have weekly rehearsals, build set lists, perform at local community events, and grow your musicianship together with your bandmates along with guidance from our specialized band coaches!

If that sounds like something you're interested in, please fill out our inquiry form below and a member of our team will be in touch with any openings!

Inquiry form

Welcome our New Instructor, Ken!

We’re excited to welcome Ken Karsh to the Sunburst School of Music community! Ken brings decades of professional performance and music education experience to Sunburst. He began playing guitar at age nine and went on to study at Berklee College of Music before earning both his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Performance from Duquesne University.

Throughout his career, Ken has performed and recorded with an incredible list of nationally and locally recognized musicians, including Bobby McFerrin, Joey DeFrancesco, Bernadette Peters, Joe Negri, and many others. His performance experience also includes work with the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, Pittsburgh Opera Orchestra, Wheeling Symphony Orchestra, and numerous Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera productions, including The Lion King, Les Misérables, Chicago, In the Heights, and Mamma Mia.

In addition to performing, Ken is an accomplished educator, composer, arranger, and author. His work has been featured in several Mel Bay and Warner Bros. guitar publications, and he has authored two guitar instructional books. He has also released two albums featuring his own compositions and jazz standards.

Ken currently teaches at Slippery Rock University and PennWest California, and we are thrilled that he is bringing his extensive knowledge, professional experience, and passion for guitar to our students at Sunburst.

Please join us in giving Ken a warm Sunburst welcome!

Free Classes

Piano Club - Friday, September 18th

Piano Club is a free monthly class led by Jaime Cohen, full of games, music education, and piano fun! This club is a great opportunity for our piano students to build music theory skills, play interactive games like Music Jeopardy, and gain performance experience.

Age Groups

• Ages 5–7 - 5:30–6:15pm
• Ages 8+ from 6:15–7pm

Songwriter Group Share - Sunday, September 20th

Are you a seasoned or new songwriter looking to share music and get some peer feedback? Bring your instrument, voice, and what you’re working on to our monthly songwriting group, peer facilitated by Abbey Martin. This group is open to all adults ages 18+ and meets on the third Sunday of each month from 3–5pm.

Jazz Jam - Friday, September 25th

You’re invited to Sunburst Jazz Jam for ages 14–adults! Whether you’re a total beginner, an experienced pro, or a music lover who just wants to listen, this space is for everyone to have fun, grow, and connect through music. This group will meet every 4th Friday from 7–9pm.

If you'd like to play, please review our provided list of jazz standards. Anyone is welcome to join in, but we ask that those taking the stage familiarize themselves with at least one tune from the list.

What to Prepare

• At least one song from this list

Sign up here

School Closure Reminder

Sunburst will be closed on Monday, September 7th, for Labor Day. Your flat monthly tuition includes lessons every week, except when we are closed for holidays (see our calendar). We do not issue makeup credits for these days. You can view a full list of our billing and scheduling policies in our Terms and Conditions here.

Thanks for reading!

Let us know if you have any questions, comments, etc. Thanks as always for being a part of the Sunburst Community!

Best Wishes,

–Sunburst Team