Community School of Music-Arts

About

Welcome to CSMA, located in downtown Ithaca NY. For over 50 years, CSMA has provided instruction in the arts for students of all ages.

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About The Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA)

The Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) is located in downtown Ithaca, NY. For over 50 years, CSMA has provided instruction in the visual arts, music, dance, theater and languages for students of all ages, skill levels, and backgrounds, enriching the lives of more than 1700 students each year.

Website: http://www.csma-ithaca.org/index.html Telephone: 607.272.1474 Address: 330 E Martin Luther King Jr. / State Street., Ithaca, NY 14850 Facebook https://www.facebook.com/csma.ithaca

The mission of the Community School of Music & Arts is "to provide quality instruction to any community member who desires to learn music and arts, to develop and offer cultural and artistic programs and events, and to serve as a resource for professional artists and musicians."

Founded in Ithaca in 1960 in the home of Eunice and Clayton Weber, CSMA is now a private, 501 (C) (3), non-profit organization, governed by a volunteer Board of Trustees.

When describing CSMA and its mission, one must look at its philosophy, a deep belief that the arts are an intimate part of human nature, and that instruction in music, dance, theater and art should be made available to any community member who desires to learn. CSMA commits its resources to students and faculty, and to the larger group of artists in the Ithaca community. The Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) is more than a place where students of all ages receive quality instruction in music, dance, theatre and the visual arts. At CSMA the emphasis is on learning, exploration and discovery.

The Community School has grown over the decades and now enrolls 1,700 students a year, taught by seventy faculty members with vast teaching experience, high academic and professional credentials, international standing, and a strong commitment to excellence. John Villani, author of “The 100 Best Small Towns in America", notes that the Community School of Music and Arts is noted for its art courses, and is praised for being "one of the nation’s best small-town centers for the arts." Each year need-based scholarships are awarded to students who qualify. The scholarship program is one way CSMA ensures that its mission is met: "... to provide quality instruction to any community member who desires to learn music and arts ...”

CSMA is a non-profit organization whose programs are made possible by the New York State Council on the Arts with the support of Governor Andrew Cuomo and the New York State Legislature. CSMA is a Capstone Partner of the Community Arts Partnership (CAP) of Tompkins County. It is a recipient of CAP's United Arts Fund Program. Member of Downtown Ithaca Alliance. http://www.csma-ithaca.org

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Mission

The mission of the Community School of Music & Arts is to provide quality instruction to any community member who desires to learn music and arts, to develop and offer cultural and artistic programs and events, and to serve as a resource for professional artists and musicians.