Mission
To provide an education in a variety of musical instruments, including voice, and music theory to a broad spectrum of students in the Oak Ridge area and surrounding communities without regard to race, religion, residential location, or age.
History
Originally the Oak Ridge School of Music, our school was founded in 1981 by Nancy England and Christine Witschi. When this partnership dissolved in 1983, Brandt Kuperstock and Nancy England founded Music Arts. Music Arts incorporated on December 8, 2000. Nancy England remained the Music Arts Director until she retired in November 2010. Since that time, the school is run by a Board of Directors, and employs a part-time assistant.
Music Arts operates as a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit, which allows for tax deductible donations to the Mary Cox Memorial Scholarship Fund. This fund has been set up to benefit young students who are otherwise unable to afford music lessons.
Faculty
With many highly qualified musicians as faculty, we offer instruction in a wide variety of instruments. Our faculty have been educated at such schools as the University of Tennessee, Peabody Institute, Indiana University, Cleveland Institute of Music, Western Michigan University, and Hartt School of Music.
Many of our faculty are professionally experienced musicians, performing in such venues as: Symphony of the Mountains, Oak Ridge Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Symphony Orchestra, Knoxville Opera Studio and Opera Company, Lawrence Welk Orchestra, Pride of the Southland Band, Jack Daniels Silver Cornet Band, and the 1982 World’s Fair Band.
In addition to teaching at Music Arts, select members of our faculty also teach at local colleges and universities such as, the University of Tennessee, Roane State Community College, Pellissippi State Community College, Maryville College, Carson-Newman College, Lincoln Memorial University, and Maryville City Schools.
Student Success
While many of our students play for pure enjoyment and succeed in their efforts for personal fulfillment, some of our students have gone into music studies at a variety of college and universities. Music Arts students have attended the University of Tennessee, Cleveland Institute of Music, Indiana University, and Manhattan School of Music. Music Arts students have used their training to receive degrees in Music Therapy, Speech Therapy, Musical Theatre, and Vocal Performance.