A Community Music School
Opening Doors to a Lifetime of Music!
To be added to our email list to receive updates about classes and registration or for more information, please contact musprep@unm.edu.
Spring 2023
Registration is open!
Click the tabs below to preview classes and register.
Join us for these free special events open to the public:
April 22, 12pm: Instrument Petting Zoo
Saturday Music Classes
12 Saturdays
January 21-April 29 (no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
Cost
$155 per semester for 45 minute classes
$160 per semester for 60 minute classes
$165 per semester for 90 minute classes
• Ukulele Fam Jam: $160 with one adult participating, $165 with two adults participating
All registrations come with one parking code for the Cornell parking structure, additional codes are $7.
Three Required forms must be submitted prior to attending class and can be found below in the “Required Forms” section.
Schedule of classes, modalities, and protocols subject to change at any time in compliance with updated guidelines, mandates, and health orders.
Opera Storytellers Summer Camp – Registration opens April 1st!
Santa Fe dates: June 5 – 9 Albuquerque dates: June 26 – 30
For string lessons and classes please visit the UNM String Lab School website
Early Childhood
- Play is the work of children! Children play together in a community with each other and with their grown-ups and teachers to explore and experience music through singing, rhythm, and movement activities.
- Early childhood music classes are inclusive and open to all! We welcome and celebrate all variations of families, learning modalities, and developmental abilities. Playful music-making in the community with other children of all abilities and developmental stages creates a safe and fun space for children and adults to explore and develop their musical selves.
- Due to classroom size, we recommend one adult per child participate in adult/child classes.
Register for Early Childhood Classes
Family Music (ages birth-3) 9am
An Adult/Child Class
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
9:00am – 9:45am
Teacher: Judy Castro
Family Music (ages birth-3) 10am
An Adult/Child Class
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
10:00am – 10:45am
Teacher: Judy Castro
Composition for Kids (ages 4-6) 9am
In this class, students will learn the art of composition through musical exploration, experimentation, and expression.
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
9:00am – 9:45am
Teacher: Lauren Coons
Music, Rhythm, and Movement (ages 4-6) 10am
This class is for children ages 4-6 to explore and experience music in a playful and natural way through music movement games.
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
10:00am – 10:45am
Teacher: Terri Reck
Ukulele
Ukulele Fam Jam (ages 7+) 12pm
Parents may participate alongside their child, but are not required to attend. Price increases by $5 per adult.
This class is for children and their grown-ups who are brand new or have previously taken a ukulele class.
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
12:00pm -12:45pm
Co-Teachers: Judy Castro and Sean Umstead
Drum Fun
This class is for beginning and continuing students. Students will develop musicianship and explore diverse musical genres while improvising, moving, playing games, reading music notation, and performing on various drums and percussion instruments.
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
11:00am – 11:45am
Teacher: Sean Umstead
Opera Storytellers Summer Camp
Registration opens April 1st. Write, compose, sing, act, dance, perform, play!
Opera Storytellers create an original opera, activating their voices, bodies, and imaginations, expanding their individual potential through creative exploration and discovery. Opera Storytellers camp is for rising 3rd through 6th graders.
Santa Fe camp at the Santa Fe Opera: June 5 – 9
Albuquerque camp at UNM: June 26 – 30
Cost: TBA
Piano
- Piano students are expected to regularly practice at home and should have access to a piano or keyboard during the week.
- Piano students should keep their fingernails short.
- Required books can be purchased locally at Baum’s Music, 2908 Eubank Blvd. NE, (505) 292-0707, or Musicality, 6201 Pan American W Fwy NE, Suite C, (505) 889-2735
Music Moves for Piano, Continuing 10am
An Adult/Child Class
This class is for continuing students in Music Moves for Piano in the fall.
Required Book: Music Moves for Piano: Keyboard Games for Beginners, Book A, by Marilyn Lowe
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
10:00am – 10:45am
Teacher: Brittany Whetten
Music Moves for Piano for Brand-New Students (ages 5-6) 11am
An Adult/Child Class
This class is for brand new students who would like to join mid-year. Children learn best through movement and play! This group piano class includes activities both at and away from the piano to help children hear, think, sing, feel and move musically, without tension.
Required Book: Music Moves for Piano: Keyboard Games for Beginners, Book A, by Marilyn Lowe
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
11:00am – 11:45am
Teacher: Brittany Whetten
Beginning Piano, Continuing 9am
This class is for students continuing from the 9am piano class in the fall.
Required Book: Piano Camp, Book 1 by June C. Montgomery
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
9:00am – 9:45am Teacher: Natalia Tikhovidova
Piano 1, 10am
This class is for continuing students from the 10am Piano 1 class in the fall.
Required Book: Piano Camp, Book 2 by June C. Montgomery
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
10:00am – 10:45am Teacher: Natalia Tikhovidova
Piano 2-3, 11am
This class is for continuing students from the Piano 2 or Piano 3 class in the fall.
Required Book: Piano Camp, Book 3 by June C. Montgomery
(for all levels – no need for a distinction between Piano 2 or 3)
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
11:00am – 11:45am
Teacher: Natalia Tikhovidova
Beginning Piano for Brand-New Students (ages 7+) 12pm
This class is for brand new beginners ages 7 and up with little to no experience who would like to join mid-year.
Required Book: Piano Camp, Primer Level by June C. Montgomery
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
12:00pm – 12:45pm
Teacher: Natalia Tikhovidova
Guitar
- Guitar students are expected to regularly practice at home.
- Required materials: a classical guitar with NYLON strings, a portable music stand, and a footstool. Materials may be purchased locally at Baum’s Music, 2908 Eubank Blvd. NE, (505) 292-0707, or Musicality, 6201 Pan American W Fwy NE, Suite C, (505) 889-2735
Beginning Guitar for Brand-New Students (ages 8+) 9am
This class is for beginning students 8 years and older who have never taken a guitar class at the Music Prep School.
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
9:00am – 9:45am Teacher: Donovan Perea
Guitar 1, 10am
This class is for students who have taken 1 or 2 semesters of guitar previously. Please speak with the instructor or contact the UNM Music Prep School musprep@unm.edu or 505.459.6725 for recommended class placement.
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
10:00am – 10:45am
Teacher: Donovan Perea
Guitar 2, 11am
This class is for students who have taken 2 or more semesters of guitar previously. Please speak with the instructor or contact the UNM Music Prep School musprep@unm.edu or 505.459.6725 for recommended class placement.
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
11:00am – 11:45am
Teacher: Donovan Perea
Guitar 3, 12pm
This class is for students who have taken 3 or more semesters of guitar previously. Please speak with the instructor or contact the UNM Music Prep School musprep@unm.edu or 505.459.6725 for recommended class placement.
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
12:00pm – 12:45pm
Teacher: Donovan Perea
Children’s Chorus
Register for Children’s Chorus
This choir for young singers will include the playful exploration of unison and simple part songs, rounds, musical movement, vocal exploration, singing games, fundamental music reading, and activities designed to help each child discover their own voice and have fun with singing.
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
11:00am – 12:00pm (one hour)
Teacher: Sharee Gariety
Room: 1108, UNM Center for the Arts (Popejoy Hall building)
The primary goal is the have fun with singing! This choir is geared toward students with a passion for music and singing, whether they are just beginning or would like to learn more intermediate and advanced musical skills.
Saturdays, January 21-April 29
(no class March 18, 25, or April 8)
11:00am–12:30pm (90 min)
Teacher: Dawn Perez
Room: 1111, UNM Center for the Arts (Popejoy Hall building)
Required Forms
Tuition Waiver Application
Donate to the Music Prep School
Donate NowMeet the teachers
Each one of our teachers is connected to the UNM Department of Music as a graduate, faculty, or both! Holds bachelor’s and/or master’s degrees in music education or music performance. They also teach in the Albuquerque area public or private schools and/or in their private music studios. They are passionate about and dedicated to “opening doors to a lifetime of music” for their students!
Music Prep School Director - Julia Church Hoffman
Music Prep School Program Coordinator, Ukulele, Drum Fun - Sean Umstead
Ukulele, Family Music - Judy Castro
Music Rhythm, and Movement - Terri Reck
Composition for Kids - Lauren Coons
Piano - Natalia Tikhovidova
Around the World with Music - Kimberly Elliott & Rebecca Kendall
Music Moves for Piano - Brittany Whetten
Guitar - Donovan Perea
Lobito Choir - Sharee Gariety
Lobo Singers - Dawn Perez
Tuition Assistance
Tuition assistance is based on financial need and determined by using the Federal Free and Reduced Lunch formula. Families who qualify for tuition assistance may use the waiver for one child in one class. Waivers are usually for 50 percent of the tuition.
We are grateful you are part of our musical community!
- Sanitizing all common use instruments and materials each day
- Hand sanitizer available in classrooms
- Disinfectant wipes available in MPS office
We encourage you to wash your hands often and thoroughly – sing a song or two you learned in music class while you wash!
If you are sick, stay home and recover.
For more information, please visit: www.unm.edu/coronavirus/
Location and Parking
We are located on the University of New Mexico Main Campus, in the Center for the Arts, 203 Cornell Dr. NE. Parking is available in the Cornell Parking Structure, on Redondo Dr., near Stanford/Central Ave. Parking permits are provided for our Saturday classes. Contact UNM’s Parking and Transportation services for more information about parking on campus: http://pats.unm.edu.
**The UNM Music Prep School has a no refund policy. However, if your class is canceled due to low enrollment, you may transfer enrollment to another available class or be refunded.
**UNM Music Prep School Cancellation Policy Due to Weather & Other Emergencies
If we feel it is unsafe for families and teachers to travel due to weather conditions or if UNM cancels classes or closes campus for emergency reasons, we will cancel our classes. There will not be make up classes or refunds if we have to cancel.
If we must cancel, we will put a message on our voice mail (505.277.8816) and will ask KOB and KOAT to add us to the cancelation list that is published on television stations, websitesand apps.
If you have any questions please contact us!
Julia Church Hoffman
Director
Sean D. Umstead
Program Coordinator
Office: Room 1412 in the UNM Center for the Arts
musprep@unm.edu
or (505) 277-8816