“Investing in a music school is investing in what makes humanity better.”
—Dr. Fernanda Nieto
I wish you could meet the dazzling Fernanda Nieto for yourself. Fernanda is the mother of three amazing Center for Musical Arts students, but she is also an accomplished musician herself, with a doctorate in piano performance from CU Boulder. She’s an avid performer and educator; in fact, she taught in our classrooms, back when we were the Rocky Mountain Center for Musical Arts.
Fernanda’s son taking a violin lesson.
So why — when Fernanda has all the skills and passion to teach her kids music herself — does she send them to the Center for Musical Arts?
First off, to teach them “that not everything in life can be found on a screen,” she says — but it’s more than that. “As a mom, I work day in and day out to make sure my children understand the importance of consistency, the importance of effort, the importance of showing up.” For Fernanda and many other Center parents, learning music is about so much more than skill with an instrument — it is about structure, social and emotional skills, and joy.
“Not long ago, my dad turned 80 years old, and we are 15,000 kilometers apart from each other,” recalls Fernanda, whose roots are in Argentina. “Both of my boys played for him, and I know that was a gift that he couldn’t get from anywhere else, and from anybody else. He loved it, and my children understood why music matters.”
Fernanda’s daughter rehearsing with her cello.
Beyond the personal, Fernanda sees the way that music impacts society. “The world that we live in is filled with speed, instant gratification, franticness,” says Fernanda. “When you are able to connect with a child or an adult in a community school as a teacher, there’s a veil that gets moved away from all of these things. What happens is this incredible connection — it’s magic between these two souls that are together just to make music.”
I am asking you to invest in the magic we make. The Center for Musical Arts is more than a place to take music lessons — we are a community-focused music school where empathetic teachers and curious students meet to create joyful memories and build healthy habits. Our students carry their growth into the world. In Fernanda’s words, “Investing in a music school is investing in what makes humanity better.”
To give the gift of music, please visit centerformusicalarts.org/support.
With gratitude,
Elizabeth McGuire | Executive Director