Together We Empower

Support the Next Century of Music Education

Since 1925, the Community Music School (CMS) of Webster University has inspired generations through the power of music. As we mark our 100th anniversary, we reflect on a century of memories, milestones, and melodies that have shaped our rich history.

From Edna Lieber’s visionary leadership to our partnerships with renowned institutions like the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra, we’ve stayed true to our mission: providing exceptional music education to students of all ages and skill levels.

As we look to the future, your support is more vital than ever. Together, we can ensure CMS continues to nurture the love of music for generations to come.

$105,000
distributed in scholarships, tuition assistance and discounts

Be a Part of our Story

black and white photo of students gathered on a front porch under sign reading Community Music School

Celebrate our Centennial with a gift of $100—one dollar for every year of our extraordinary journey. Your contribution directly supports scholarships, innovative programs, and access to music education for the next generation of musicians.

Here’s how your generosity helps:

  • Provides scholarships for students in need
  • Supports top-notch faculty and programming
  • Sustains CMS’s tradition of making music education accessible to all

DONATE

teacher with piano student

Support Our Students

Underwrite the tuition for one student for one academic year:

$500 - $750

Group class | Summer camp | String Ensemble | String Orchestra | Early childhood class | Young People's Concert Orchestra (YPCO) | Young People's Symphonic Orchestra (YPSO)

$1,000 - $2,000

Preparatory program | Beginner and intermediate lessons | Beginner Suzuki

$2,000 - $3,000

Intermediate and advanced Suzuki | Advanced lessons

DONATE

McKinley High School

Build After-School Programs

$10,000

Bring the expertise of the Community Music School and their faculty to an underserved school. Currently the CMS is providing DISCOUNTED lessons to students at McKinley High School in the St. Louis Public School District. We'd like to expand this program into other underserved schools to help build robust orchestra, band, and choral programs. A gift of $10,000 is needed to begin at a new school. Tuition discounts will be supported by the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) Fund and the Scholarship Fund.

Will you help?

DONATE

African american young man with violin

Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Initiatives (DEI)

All gifts welcome!

CMS recognizes that DEI encompasses many underserved communities. At this time, we are focused on what we perceive to be the most immediate need — support for musicians of color. Therefore, gifts to this fund will be focused on scholarships, need-based tuition assistance and discounts for musicians in communities of color. As the CMS learns more about the needs in this community and others, additional programs will be developed and funded.

DONATE

CMS Center building

General Operating Support

All gifts welcome!

It may not be flashy, but a gift to support our day to day activities makes a huge impact on our students, faculty, and staff. These funds could be used for video and audio recordings, to tune our pianos, to hire a desperately needed staff person, to bring in extra coaches and master class instructors, to print brochures, invest in computer software to streamline processes, and so much more!

DONATE

Help us

Make music education accessible

Thanks to the generosity of our funders over our 90+ year history, the Community Music School of Webster University can offer scholarships, discounts and tuition assistance — making high-quality music education accessible to students and families that may not otherwise have the financial resources.

35%
of CMS Students receive financial assistance