Back to School

Dear Friends,

School’s back in session! It’s exciting to see everyone begin “new adventures” this month. Here at Community Music School, we’ve begun a new semester of lessons and ensembles. The daily buzz of private lesson students of all ages flowing in and out of the school has been energizing! The String Ensemble has begun its 21^st season and is growing in size. The dynamic members of the Studio 24 Vocal Performance class have been selecting songs and strategizing their next performance cabaret. A new flute ensemble is underway, the Acoustic Classic Rock Ensemble has been rocking on, and… the fiercely dedicated members of the New Horizons Band have resumed a new round of rehearsals, with several members having recently returned from a summer band camp in Maine (you can read Rita Christopher’s compelling account below). My favorite part of this past week was seeing little 5 year-old Grant Ney, whom I’ve known since he was a baby, arrive at CMS for his first-ever violin lesson! His mom told me afterward, “He really liked it. It was so different from anything else he’s done before and Miss Martha was amazing with him!”

Since tuition covers about 70% of the costs to operate our wonderful non-profit music school (with the remainder coming from grants and donations), our dedicated board of directors has already kicked off the year’s funding efforts, recently hosting a magical fundraising event at a board member’s beautiful home. Keep an eye out for our annual appeal in November as we seek to reach our $60,000 goal for the 2022-2023 school year. But here’s the most exciting thing: 2023 marks the Community Music School’s 40^th Anniversary! A special committee is already planning a big celebration, as our community deserves to be VERY proud for sustaining this beloved school for 39+ years. It was the vision of founder Paddy Hurley that this community provide a place where we, our kids, and our parents could gain top-quality musical instruction and experiences throughout the year. We’ve done that and more, thanks to you! The school bell has rung: Let the music play!

Best Wishes,

Dr. Richard Wyman, Executive Director

Community Music School