General
Our hours of operation are:
Monday – Thursday 10 a.m. – 8 p.m.
Friday 10 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Saturday – Sunday CLOSED
Our main location, located in Buffalo’s Hamlin Park Historic District, is at 217 E. Delavan Avenue. Check out our locations and get directions here.
Community Music School does not sell music, but our faculty/staff can point you in the right direction as to where to get music you may need for your lessons.
Yes, we are currently renting out rooms for practice or meetings. Please contact our CMS office at 716-884-4887 for all inquiries.
As a nonprofit organization, we cannot meet every request – but we do what we can! Please send your information through regular mail or email, and we’ll see if we can help!
Yes! Our talented and experienced faculty is comprised of professional musicians of all. Please contact us with your inquiries.
Yes. Community Music School has occasional opportunities for community volunteers. Internships will be discussed based on interests and needs from Community Music School and the individual.
Please call or email us at [email protected].
We’re always happy to know about talented musicians interested in teaching for us. Feel free to email us a copy of your résumé, and we will contact you directly with additional information.
Instruments
Students must have their own instrument at home for practice.
Yes, we do! There is a small monthly rental fee, and the instrument must be returned if you decide to stop lessons.
Community Music School does not buy instruments, but will always accept gently used instruments as a donation.
We’re grateful when people donate their gently used instruments. We use them as rentals for students who wish to rent an instrument through us. And if you have a notice about an instrument for sale, we’re happy to post it.
Financial
Students who are unable to pay the full fee for their studies at CMS are encouraged to apply for financial assistance.
To be considered, students must complete an application and include all sources of income for the family and provide proof of this income.
Students awarded financial assistance from CMS must attend their weekly lesson, practice regularly at home, and participate in CMS recitals and skills showcase. Frequent absences or lack of participation in recitals and skills showcase (as well as reasons listed under “Dismissal”) will jeopardize a student’s continued financial aid.
Monthly tuition payments must be paid in a timely fashion. Should a student have difficulty paying their monthly installment at any time during the year, they are to contact office manager Rachael Bouquard, before the bill becomes overdue to discuss a payment plan.
Students who are unable to meet these expectations will be placed on probation for 6 months, and receive a 25% reduction in financial assistance. A review will occur after the six months to determine whether full aid will be restored.
If any student faces hardship at any time throughout the school year, they are encouraged to apply for financial assistance. We are here to help and believe that anyone who has the desire to learn music should have the opportunity to do so.
Everyone is welcome to apply.
Our group classes have a set number of sessions each term.
We don’t have a requirement for the number of individual lessons, but most students sign up for the full school year. You should stay long enough to really find out if it’s right for you.
Community Music School accepts all major credit cards, checks, and cash (exact change only). Individual lessons are paid via a monthly installment plan. If you discontinue for any reason, you’ll receive a refund for any remaining lessons.
For group classes, payment can pay for the session in one of two ways. Payment can be made in full before the start of class and receive a discount. We also offer monthly installments that are paid via a monthly installment plan. There are no refunds for early discontinuation.
Lessons and classes
Lessons are once a week for 30, 45, or 60 minutes.
Take a look at our available lessons to see what instruments we teach.
All our in-person lessons must take place at one of our five locations. We are currently offering virtual lessons if that is your preference.
Our faculty uses a variety of teaching methods. Community Music School tries to match students to our teachers depending on a student’s individual learning style and musical goals.
You can read all about our faculty’s credentials here.
We offer several group classes for children (including those too young to take individual lessons), as well as for adults. Browse through our classes and performance ensembles to see what is being offered this session.
As children progress at different rates, it’s important to individualize the instruction.
Some group classes are available for drop-ins. Please call the office for further information.
The individual lesson experience is personalized for each student. Community Music School strives to match each student with the right teacher based on the student’s musical goals and interests. If the relationship between the teacher and the student doesn’t work out, we encourage students to let us know so we may pair you with a different teacher.
We’re always happy to offer a tour of the school, which answers most questions parents and students may have.
All CMS students will be invited to attend a “Studio Makeup Day” twice per year – once in the Winter and once in the Spring.
These two 90-minute sessions will take the place of individual makeup lessons. **Even if a student has not missed any lessons, they will still be invited to attend the Studio Makeup Days.
For student absences, the CMS office (716-884-4887) or ([email protected]) – NOT the teacher – must be notified at least four hours before the scheduled lesson (or by 9:15 a.m. for morning lessons).
Refunds or credits will not be given in place of absences or missed Studio Makeup Days.
Refunds are not given for student absences from any regularly scheduled class or ensemble.
A makeup class will be scheduled for any class session that is canceled because of teacher absence, or due to the closing of the School for weather or other emergency.
For student absences, the CMS office (716-884-4887) or ([email protected]) – NOT the teacher – must be notified at least four hours before the class (or by 9:15 a.m. for morning classes/ensembles).