WHY WE’RE HERE
Community Music School was founded in 1992 as a response to the defunding of public school music programs. Our foundational goal is to connect people to music and through music, with a focus on young musicians. Our programs offer participants community: playing music in ensembles, at camps, and a continuum of experiences throughout their development. We also help connect potential students to music teachers and musical instruments.
The Difference We Make
Young musicians benefit from our work through our high quality music instruction and enrichment programs with outstanding instructors. Parents benefit because we offer affordable music programs for children, and a free database of music teachers in Santa Cruz County. Older musicians benefit because we offer adult continuing education opportunities through our music camps and workshops. For professional musicians, we offer opportunities to reach the public through our camps, workshops, and concerts. If they teach, we offer them a free listing in our teacher database. The larger community benefits in a variety of ways. Students learn to appreciate musical performance, expanding the audience. We serve as a clearinghouse, providing used instruments to grateful recipients. We send out a monthly newsletter with upcoming musical events, benefitting both music lovers and performers.
Racial Equity Statement
Our programs have historically focused on Northern European music, and our targeted audience has been school-age musicians who have been privileged with private music lessons. While many students in Santa Cruz County receive weekly music instruction in school, many more do not – and the general nature of that instruction is typically insufficient to become a competent musician. We are actively working on expanding our constituency, and helping to balance the distribution of musical wealth, musical opportunities, and musical privileges within our larger community, by offering music development programs for children in BIPOC communities, and siting those programs in racially diverse neighborhoods. We are also partnering with other music-centered nonprofits, especially those that have roots in BIPOC communities, by distributing donated instruments to their programs. We also actively support the work of Arts Now Santa Cruz County, an organization that advocates for equitable and accessible arts education throughout K-12 public schools.