welcome to cmswr!
making music makes a difference
Since 2012, the Community Music School of Waterloo Region has provided music education and all its benefits to kids in our community who can’t access it. In collaboration with community supporters, our programs develop kids’ musical skills, creativity, confidence, and love for music.
Our teaching methods put students first – there’s no one-size-fits all approach. Our amazing volunteer teachers share the personal and musical journeys of their students, fostering safe spaces to learn, grow, and thrive.
our mission
To provide music education and all its benefits to kids in our community who don’t have access.
our vision
A community where all kids who want to learn music can.
our values
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We create community with our students, their families, our teachers, and partner organizations.
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We develop young people by providing space where they can grow their musical skills, creativity, and confidence.
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We empower students by ensuring they're active in building their experience. There's no one-size-fits-all approach here.
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We actively include by tearing down barriers to music education and its benefits through intentional and ongoing action.
from our students
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I love playing the piano. It makes me happy and gives me a chance to learn something outside of school. My teacher is great! She is really encouraging and patient.
– Wengeal, 16
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I like how friendly my teacher is. I also love how there is no judgement. I am able to learn at my own pace with no pressure.
– James, 17
our story
community collaboration is at our core
Community collaboration has been at the heart of the Community Music School of Waterloo region since our founding in 2012 by Kari Kokko. While we began as a volunteer-based collaboration between Pathways to Education and Lyrical Lines Education Network, we’ve grown in the past decade to a collaborative force with over 10 referring organizations, deep partnerships with Wilfrid Laurier University and the Beckett School at Laurier, and have reached hundreds of young people in our community.
In 2017, CMSWR went from a project of Lyrical Lines Education Network to an organization of its own, forming its own board of governance. We’ve been growing every year since thanks to the dedicated support of our community partners and donors. In 2018, we launched specialized workshops and ensembles, from choirs to ukuleles to songwriting to the tech side of music production. Our summer camps launched in 2021, expanding our capacity to work with students all year round.
