Music Lessons, Ensembles, and Classes
All levels and ages welcome!
Community Music School of Springfield offers private and semi-private music lessons for children, teens and adults across a wide range of instruments and genres.
Students are carefully matched with a teacher who will best meet their needs, and our registration team will gladly assist you in deciding whether to rent or purchase your instrument. Students at CMSS attend and participate in recitals, master classes and community performances throughout the year.
A lesson with each and every one of CMSS faculty looks different in its own beautiful way. The opens in a new windowCMSS Unified Teaching Values allow us to name what it means to be a faculty member, what future students can expect from all CMSS faculty, and what past and present students have loved since 1983.
Whether you are beginning your musical journey or advancing your skills, we welcome you to Community Music School of Springfield and look forward to being a part of your musical experience!
Make music with your peers
The benefits of playing in an ensemble are many, including improved communication, musicality and expression, intonation, and leadership skills–everything you need to take your playing to the next level! Ensembles give students an opportunity to utilize all of the knowledge they have gained in their private lessons. Think of this is as “the big game†you have been working towards each week during sports practice.
Small Group Ensembles
Small group ensembles, also known as chamber ensembles, are comprised of 3-5 musicians and perform pieces of music without a conductor. These groups will be organized based on age (adults are also welcome), development level, genre of interest, and other factors to ensure the best possible grouping. Each group will meet regularly with a faculty coach for a set number of weeks culminating in a concert performance.
Students interested in joining a small group ensemble can contact Crystal Watkins at cwatkins@communitymusicschool.comcreate new email to get started.
Large Group Ensembles
CMSS offers a wide range of ensembles that meet on a weekly basis and offer students the opportunity to learn and play with their peers of a similar level of experience.
Children’s Chorus of Springfield (Laurie Ellington, Director)
City Chorus (Laurie Ellington, Director)
Guitar Ensemble ( opens in a new windowJohn Cesar, Director)
Joyful Voices (Laurie Ellington, Director)
StillCan Band (Jim Messbauer, Director)
STRINGfield (Eleni Yalanis, Director)
String City Orchestra ( opens in a new windowFrantz Kjoniksen and opens in a new windowWill Losch, Co-Directors)
Youth Wind Ensemble of Springfield (Dave Morris, Director)
A full list of CMSS’ ensembles can be found here. On the left side of that page, you can browse ensembles by age group and type.
Sonido Musica
Sonido Musica offers weekly music instruction by CMSS faculty during school for students in Springfield and Holyoke Public Schools, leading to improved educational outcomes.
Sonido Musica
Music Therapy
CMSS offers Music Therapy for children and adults with developmental delays, special education students, and individuals with autism.
Music Therapy
Adaptive Music Program
Our Adaptive Music Program (AMP) connects music and special education to improve students’ lives, targeting social/emotional, academic, and artistic development.
Adaptive Music Partnership
Children’s Chorus
The Children’s Chorus of Springfield teaches music literacy through singing and cultivates a generation of ambassadors for Springfield through song.
Prelude Preschool of the Arts
An arts-integrated early childhood education program that incorporates Suzuki violin, guitar, percussion, children’s chorus, dance, yoga, foreign language and visual arts within a comprehensive academic curriculum.
Prelude Preschool of the Arts
Registration and Financial Aid
CMSS features easy online registration for music lessons and ensembles for all levels and ages of students.
Easy Online Registration