Mission & History

Mission Statement

Community Music School’s twofold mission is to enrich lives and communities by offering excellent, affordable music instruction to all people and to provide performance opportunities that contribute to the cultural life of the communities we serve.  This dual mission is based upon the notion that music should play a central role in the life of any healthy community and that each and every individual has the capacity for music expression at some appropriate level of understanding and skill.

 

Our Core Values

  • Welcoming: A commitment to serving individuals of all ages, aptitudes and interests.
  • Excellence: A commitment to provide quality music instruction by maintaining a faculty of talented and professional music educators.
  • Community: A commitment to enrich lives and strengthen relationships in the community through music.
  • Appreciation: A commitment to cultivate and promote music appreciation in our community.
  • Nurturing: A commitment to fostering music interests in a supportive and caring environment to all those who study music at Community Music School.

History of Community Music School

For nearly 20 years, Community Music School has been the region’s leading resource for quality music education.  Initially CMS rented space at Trinity United Church of Christ in Collegeville and opened in September of 1991with an enrollment of just 38 students. By 1994, nearly 300 students were taking weekly music instruction from CMS.  Space in the church was limited and it was clear that CMS would have to move in order to meet the burgeoning demand for music instruction.   In that same year, with support from The William Penn, Arcadia, and The Presser Foundations, Community Music School purchased and renovated its current home at 775 West Main Street in Trappe, located in western in Montgomery County.

 

Community Music School has experienced remarkable growth during the past 20 years – not just in numbers of students, but in the size of our facility and the scope of our programs.   In 2005, CMS completed construction on a beautiful addition to its facility, complete with 18 teaching studios and a 200-seat performance hall.

 

In addition to providing music instruction to students throughout the region, CMS offers first-class performances by musicians of renown and has become a valuable cultural resource to our community.