Armstrong Community Music School

The Armstrong Community Music School was founded on the principle that a high-quality music education should be available to everyone, regardless of circumstances. At ACMS you might see a small child attending an Early Childhood Music class while across the hall a grandparent goes to her first ever violin lesson. For 20 years, ACMS has provided Central Texans of all ages and skill levels the opportunity to express themselves through joyful music-making.

In conjunction with the excellent music instruction provided in-house, ACMS partners with local organizations to offer free programming for a wide variety of populations. Collectively these programs are known as the Harmony Initiative. Each program in the Harmony Initiative is designed by faculty and staff to meet the intellectual and situational needs of the communities they serve, positively impacting the lives of underserved populations with the power of music. These partnership programs include:

Early Childhood Music programs and ukulele classes for the children of
The SAFE Alliance, the merger of Austin Children’s Shelter and SafePlace, Austin’s domestic violence shelter

Musical sing-alongs for the families of Todos Juntos Learning Center, an education center for immigrant and refugee families

We Are the Chorus and We Are the Chorus, Too!, choruses for individuals with special needs and their singing buddies

The Veterans Guitar Project, weekly guitar classes and performance opportunities for all veterans

Early Childhood Music classes at Travis and Navarro High School Child Development Centers for the children of teenage parents

Music for All: Creating Yes for Every Family, a collaboration with Education Service Center Region 13 providing twice monthly Early Childhood Music family classes to children with visual and mobility impairments

All Harmony Initiative endeavors share the goal of supporting health and well-being and are tailored to the needs of their populations. Studies indicate that sharing their stories can help veterans cope with post-traumatic stress, traumatic brain injury, and depression, and that arts engagement can aid in suicide prevention. Research has continued to show the developmental benefits of music education. Nevertheless, the decline in arts education is most drastic for underserved minorities. Your contribution to ACMS programs helps to fill the gap and provide individuals all the benefits of music-making.