Community Music School of Webster University To Be Awarded $24,000 NEA Grant

The Community Music School (CMS) of Webster University is set to receive a $24,000 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) for the 2010-2011 academic year. CMS is one of only seven programs in Missouri to receive funding in the Learning in the Arts for Children and Youth category. The funds will support the School's Preparatory Program (PREP), a comprehensive arts curriculum centered on chamber music.

Carol Commerford, Director of CMS, is pleased to see the program receive increased support and recognition from the NEA. "The NEA grant will allow us to expand our annual chamber music weekend. The two day workshop includes juried performances and educational presentations that culminate in a mini-competition," she said. "In addition, the PREP program engages internationally renowned guest artists who perform and share expertise with the students throughout the year."

The CMS Preparatory Program, founded in 1998, is designed to augment the individual music study of exceptionally talented string, woodwind, brass and piano students who anticipate pursuing a career in music. Utilizing the vast artistic resources of the entire St. Louis region, including the Saint Louis Symphony Orchestra and its Community Partnerships Program, Webster University, and other area institutions, the PREP program offers high caliber instruction, performance opportunities, and artistic mentoring centered on chamber (small ensemble) music. The program also includes theory, ear training, music history and literature, performance classes and special events such as recitals, master classes, and guest lectures.

"I am proud of the significant and successful outreach provided by our Community Music School," said Dr. Elizabeth Stroble, President of Webster University. "The growing collaboration with members of Webster's Department of Music builds on a longstanding tradition of individual excellence and commitment to community. This most recent award from the NEA provides external validation for what we at Webster and many students and families in this region value and seek to extend."

Over its eleven year history, students from the PREP Program have boasted a 100 percent college placement rate at a school of their choice, most receiving substantial scholarships. PREP graduates pursue music degrees from many prestigious schools such as Oberlin, Manhattan School of Music, Northwestern, the Cleveland Institute of Music, and Webster University.

Founded in 1925, CMS offers outstanding music education and performance opportunities to students of all ages and abilities and serves the entire St. Louis metropolitan region and beyond. CMS headquarters are located on the Webster University campus in Webster Groves, with additional locations in Chesterfield and University City. For more information, visit www.webster.edu/cms or call 314-968-5939.

The NEA is an independent agency of the United States federal government that is dedicated to supporting excellence in the arts, both new and established; bringing the arts to all Americans; and providing leadership in arts education. Since its creation in 1965, the agency has made more than $4 billion in grants.

The Community Music School of Webster University is accredited by the National Association of Schools of Music and is a certified member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts. The Community Music School receives assistance from the Arts and Education Council of Greater St. Louis and the Regional Arts Commission. Financial assistance for this project has been provided by the Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.

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