Here at the Center for Musical Arts, (an official “community music school” that belongs to the National Guild for Community Arts Education), the term “community” is just a given and is part of everything that we do. Everyone who walks through the door instantly belongs. We all (teachers, students, staff, visitors, audience members) gather for a like purpose – music.
Music is the thing that brings us together, creates connection, and fosters respect and appreciation. And where people are connected, relationships happen. We see each other, and more importantly, we hear one another.
If you’re at the Center on a weekday afternoon, you’ll see a constant flow of students in and out of the main door. Many carry instrument cases, some just folders filled with printed music. Drumsticks, water bottles, pencils – anyone taking music lessons knows the vital importance of a pencil! There are students of different ages, different backgrounds, different abilities. But we’re all here for the same reason – to learn and participate in musical adventures.
I love watching kids and adults come in smiling, and when they leave, the smiles are bigger. They’ve accomplished something, learned something new, played a passage that was too difficult at first, and now they’ve mastered it. And everyone around them, in 13 other studios, is doing the same thing.
Building a Colorado Music Community Where Everyone Belongs
The Center creates this sense of belonging and music is the uniting factor. When people belong, we flourish. The magical element is the environment, which is safe, nurturing, and entirely devoted to music. Our teachers are skilled and versatile enough to work with students of any age or ability level. We value student-centered learning, meaning that we meet students where they are.
The process is the most important thing, not the product; what happens in the studio or in rehearsals is more important than the performance (if there is one). We do celebrate hard work and accomplishments, though, in recitals and concerts – and that’s where you experience firsthand the strength of the community we’ve built.
Diverse Groups, Voices, and Interests in One Community
The bigger community creates smaller ones centered around a particular group or class. For example, just last week, our LifeSong Chorus (for people with dementia and their care partners) made a video recording of Young at Heart for one of their friends who was celebrating her 105th (!!!) birthday. And 35 students between the ages of 5 and 55 came to audition for the Celebrate CMA! Recital. And senior students in the Broadway on Baseline class were rehearsing in every possible space in the building – Founders Hall, Grimes Hall, and even the kitchen – for their upcoming show. After their rehearsal, they gathered for refreshments and conversation. Meanwhile, the waiting area was filled with families waiting for their students. No one was on their phone – they were talking to each other!
Our Shared Story Unlocks the Unifying Power of Music
Music is very important to everyone involved at the Center for Musical Arts. It’s the defining aspect to our particular brand of belonging. We have a shared purpose, a shared story and music is the uniting factor that goes beyond age, background, financial circumstances, or musical ability.
A sense of belonging helps develop self-esteem (at any age), and gives us an outlet when life gets challenging. When covid hit, we had about 24 hours to shut down and try to figure out how to carry on as a community with no option to be in person for the foreseeable future. But an amazing thing happened: all of our teachers figured out an online teaching setup, and over half of the Center students stayed with us virtually. Lessons continued. When the weather warmed, the faculty drummed up some free “Porch Concerts” and people set up their lawn chairs in the street. And with some good arranging and engineering, we created a video to express our hope and unity. “Ode to Joy” was the only possible piece for that purpose. When it wasn’t possible to come together as a community, we figured out a way anyway.
There is a place for everyone at the Center for Musical Arts. Everyone is welcome, we’d love to have you join our community!
Kathy Kucsan, Ph.D.
Education Director and Co-Founder