Community Music Center of Boston (CMCB) is an arts education nonprofit founded in 1910, with a mission to transform lives by providing equitable access to excellent music education and arts experiences. Over 3,000 students of all ages, from pre-school to seniors, participate in our programs every week. We are proud to act as the largest external provider of arts education to the Boston Public Schools, supporting rigorous, relevant, and culturally-inclusive musical instruction for one of the most diverse school districts in the nation.
About CMCB
CMCB is an anchor for local arts education. Our greatest strength is that a student who enters our programs is entering an entire ecosystem that can support them throughout their K-12 education and beyond. We also offer board-certified Music Therapy for participants of all ages, adopting the skillful use of musical instruction to achieve non-musical goals. CMCB leadership also plays an important role in national conversations on cultural equity and creative youth development.
Programs
CMCB has programs throughout virtually every neighborhood in Boston, in-school, after-school, and in the summer. With two main divisions, CMCB operates innovative Community Music School Programs at our headquarters in Boston’s South End and Community Engagement Programs with over 30 partners throughout Boston.
Community Engagement Programs
School Partnerships: School-day instruction at over a dozen schools (including Boston Public Schools, charter schools, and parochial schools)
Community Partnerships: After-school instruction at schools and community centers
Music Therapy: Activities in support of non-musical goals like well-being, expression, or communication
Community Music School
Private & Group Instruction: Lessons, ensembles, and classes at our headquarters located at 34 Warren Avenue in Boston’s South End
Early Childhood: Age-appropriate classes for students 5 months to 5 years old
Elementary: Age-appropriate classes for students 7 to 12 years
History
CMCB celebrates 110 years of answering Boston’s calls to action. From our Music Therapy work helping reintegrate soldiers home from WWII and the Korean War into civilian life, to our role bringing the arts back into public schools shortly after Boston’s violent school integration crisis in the 1970’s, CMCB’s century-long legacy positions us as an anchor at the intersection of Boston’s arts, culture, and civic life.
CMCB’s greatest strength is that a student who enters our programs is entering an entire ecosystem.
Lecolion Washington, Executive DirectorFuture
We are re-envisioning what community music schools teach, and how they engage with young people. At CMCB, we stand strong in a set of core values and beliefs,
– a combination of sequential after-school, in-school, and summer music instruction increases student success, retention, and positive development, in both music education and academic growth
– prioritizing culturally-relevant and learner-centered teaching that fosters thriving communities
– our century-long commitment to equity: a longstanding value central to our legacy that animates every aspect of our work
– we support youth to be equipped to fundamentally change the arts and culture sector for future generations.
LATEST SOUNDS from CMCB
