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Amelle Badey, a Los Altos High School student, first started taking singing lessons when she was 7-years-old at the Community School of Music and Arts (CSMA) in Mountain View. Badey was hooked with the first lesson and has been a student at CSMA ever since, pursuing music more deeply as a merit scholar.
“I was able to find a community of musicians who also wanted to push themselves and improve their skills. And it’s really just changed so much about how I look at music and how I’m able to share my music with the world,” Badey said.
CSMA has a long history of nurturing students and making music and art accessible to all. The nonprofit got its start more than 50 years ago and has become one of the largest community arts schools in the country, serving people of all ages, income and ability, according to Executive Director Adriana Marcial.
A few years ago, CSMA expanded its footprint by adding a new wing to its main building, located just off San Antonio Road. The campus has a music school, art school, theater and two galleries. CSMA also recently opened a smaller music and art center in Belmont.
“What we’ve really been trying to do is connect all of those pieces,” Marcial said, noting that they were looking to activate all of the building spaces. It is not uncommon to see artistic work displayed outside the galleries, or having people lingering in the doorways enjoying the music, she said.
Like many performing arts organizations, CSMA struggled during the COVID pandemic, with people not wanting to take classes or perform in enclosed spaces. The challenge has been reminding people to come back to the performing arts as a center for creative expression, Marcial said.
“I think people have kind of forgotten that’s something that you can do, like in your off-time, or your non-work time or your out-of-school time. And so, we’re trying to make it very accessible, very easy for people to participate,” Marcial said.
The nonprofit regularly hosts events that are free and open to the public, like its Community Concert Series and Community Arts Day Open House.
Getting more people involved has been a big push for CSMA, especially as operating costs have gone up after the pandemic. It’s been a struggle, Marcial said, noting that several Bay Area art institutions have had to make drastic cuts to their budgets or have folded altogether.
“Luckily, we have a diverse set of revenue sources so we’ve been able to sustain, but it’s certainly not easy, and so we’re just trying to keep that engagement up,” Marcial said, referring to support from foundations and individuals.
This includes support from the Mountain View Voice Holiday Fund, an annual initiative that raises money for local nonprofits.
In this case, the support extends beyond Mountain View, as CSMA has a big regional impact too. Its art and music programs are in nearly 50 elementary schools in the Bay Area, serving about 20,000 students, Marcial said.
Pedro Lopez, a CSMA senior art programs manager, helps run these programs, providing support and resources for teachers who are implementing the arts education curriculum.
“I walk into a classroom, there’s kids that are smiling, kids that are working together, kids that are being brave, making choices that don’t look like the other people next door to them. And their art doesn’t look like they’re trying to copy anybody,” Lopez said.
CSMA does more than just teach kids how to draw. It’s building community, Lopez said.
The Mountain View Voice Holiday Fund kicked off last month and offers financial support to nonprofits that serve people in need.
Every year, donations to the Holiday Fund are divided equally among a group of local nonprofits. The Voice and its Holiday Fund partner, the nonprofit Silicon Valley Community Foundation, absorb all administrative costs to run the fund, and all donations are tax-deductible.
For more information about the Holiday Fund, go to mv-voice.com.com/holiday-fund. To give a donation online, go to embarcaderomediafoundation.org/holiday-fund/mountain-view. Checks can be made payable to Mountain View Voice Holiday Fund and sent to 2345 Yale St., FL 1, Palo Alto, CA 94306. The Holiday Fund campaign will run through early January, with grants awarded in the spring.
