Sixty years ago, a group of five women, concerned there weren’t enough opportunities to create and enjoy music in Belmont, decided to start a music school. They began by welcoming a dozen students into their living rooms to learn the recorder. As more students sought out instruction, the school added instruments, outgrew various church basements, held concerts, and developed a reputation for serious attention to the arts. The Belmont Music School became a valued institution.
Today, the organization, renamed Powers Music School, has found a new home at 160 Lexington St., a space that has allowed the school to bring all its programs, classes, and performances under one roof where teachers, students, and community members can make music together.
“We were always spread out until we moved here about two years ago, and now we are finally in a place where we can open our doors to the community,” Executive Director Gavin Farrell said. “For 60 years, Belmont has supported and nurtured the growth of our school and nurtured us to the point that we are at now, and now we have a physical space where we can return the favor and say come to us. We have this big, beautiful concert hall that we use a lot and is open to the community as well.”
“Sandra Rosenblum, one of five “founding mothers” of Powers Music School, spoke about her memories of the origins of the organization in the 1960s. (Courtesy Photo)”)
At a recent gala celebrating its 60th anniversary, faculty, friends, and supporters enjoyed performances and speeches from founding members and current leaders and concluded the evening with a sing-along of the Beatles’ “Hey Jude.”
“The 60th is our past, present, and future,” Farrell said. “It is a celebration of how we got started, what we’ve grown into, and what we’re looking to do in the future.”
Early days
Initially, school was held wherever teachers chose to gather, Farrell said. One of the founders, Ellen Huff Powers, was a passionate fan of Early Music and donated a collection of violas da gamba. Soon, the school became one of the few places in the region to offer instruction in Renaissance and Baroque instruments. The school is now well known for Early Music lessons and concerts, showcasing viola da gamba, Baroque oboe, and Baroque violin among other early instruments.
“That’s been a throughline of what’s happened at Powers, and it’s kind of unique about our school,” Farrell said. “Not a lot of schools teach da gamba and harpsichord and things like that, but we do, and we always have.”
The reach of Powers Music School has stretched across town lines. In the 1980s, a group of teachers began a music program in Winchester that was under the umbrella of Powers Music School and eventually grew to become the Winchester Community Music School. Farrell said there was a branch of Powers in Lexington for a while as well.
Today’s Powers School
After the isolation of the COVID-19 pandemic, the school saw its enrollment surge by about 20%. Today, Powers Music School is known for its diverse programs, which include Early Music, Turkish music, Irish fiddle and ceili dance, summer programs, private lessons, concerts, and music therapy. The community space has been used to host memorial services, festivals, and workshops, hosting events almost every weekend. In response to community requests, the school has started a community band, led by John McClellan, a former band leader at the Chenery school.
Farrell said the pandemic forced the closure of Chenery’s parent-teacher band, and once lockdown ended, there was demand to bring it back.
“We reached out to John, and he was eager to do it. We went from zero to 70 people just like that, and that’s the kind of thing that makes my heart sing,” Farrell said. “One of the things we really value about ourselves as a school is that we’re here for you, the community. We really want to hear from people, so all the programs that we do, all the things that we teach, it’s because people have asked us to do it.”
In 2023, the school conducted a survey to learn what students and the greater community value most. They learned that students come to the school to experience and appreciate different types of music, to become competent at their instrument, and to enjoy making music with others. The survey found that the most critical part of their music education is enjoying and expressing themselves through music, developing a work ethic, and building self-esteem. The finding led to refining the mission and vision to inspire students to not only strive for excellence in their music goals, but to also realize their self-worth through their journey toward excellence.
This is what sets the school apart, said Kelly Webber, director of communications.
“Those things are the support system that enables people to become better, not just in their musical skills, but in their personal skills, their own personal growth, and that’s why a lot of us are here.”
Belmont is a town that loves music, Farrell said.
“I think when a community really values the arts and values music, they invest in it. When parents are insistent that music be a part of the public schools’ program, you know you are sending a message. There’s something about coming to a place like this, to be able to walk in and there are two floors of people doing the same thing to what you are doing. That just sends a message to young people that their parents think this is important, so when they grow up, they will instill that same thing within their own kids.”