General
Our summer 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.
Currently, we are not renting out rooms for practice or meetings. We hope to be able to offer this service in the future.
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 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
Yes! We offer financial aid for both children and adults. Financial aid is income-based, but we take into consideration special circumstances. 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 for the full session must be paid up front. There are no refunds for early discontinuation. Payments may be made in person, over the phone, or through our website.
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 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.
For individual lessons, each student is given one excused absence per school year and will receive a makeup lesson from their teacher at no extra charge. Makeup lessons are not offered during our summer session.
Students must notify the school at least four hours in advance of the cancellation so we have adequate time to notify the teacher. Without proper notification, there can be no makeup lesson.
For classes, the full amount for the session is paid up front, regardless of how many classes you attend. You’ll receive a detailed explanation of our policies when you register.