Westmont College is launching the Westmont Music Academy (WeMA), a new year-round community music school designed to serve students of every age and skill level, The Santa Barbara Independent reported. Building on a decade of success with its summer youth program, the academy begins its inaugural session on August 28 at the Montecito campus under the direction of Joanne Kim, a clarinet instructor at Westmont and Santa Barbara City College.
The curriculum includes private lessons, early childhood classes featuring movement and singing, beginning violin and piano courses, musicianship training, and chamber music ensembles. Kim emphasized that effective teaching requires meeting individual students where they are, noting that learners possess unique personalities, goals, and strengths. She highlighted the value of ensemble work, observing that students often find particular joy in rehearsing and performing with peers rather than studying instruments in isolation.
To strengthen connections between the college and the broader Santa Barbara community, the academy offers scholarships for chamber music and advanced performance programs to ensure broad access. Kim stated her primary hope is that the institution becomes a place where individuals can discover and grow through music at any stage of life while experiencing the shared joy of making music together.
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