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
Registration for Fall 2026 opens Friday, July 24 at 10am!
Fall 2026 Dates
Saturday Music Classes: August 22 – November 21, 2026
No class September 5 or October 10.
Thursday Children’s Chorus: August 27 – November 18, 2026 (Wednesday)
No class October 8.
Tuition:
Base tuition is $200 for twelve 45-minute classes.
- Classes that require books, materials, or are longer than 45 minutes cost more.
Tuition Assistance is available
To request tuition assistance, please submit a Tuition Waiver Application.
Parking:
- One parking code for the Cornell Parking Structure is included with each Saturday registration. Additional codes are $10.
- Free parking is not available for Thursday Children’s Chorus classes. However, drop-off and pick-up services are provided.
Protection of Minors:
Required supervision of minors: In accordance with UNM Minors on Campus policies, a parent or guardian must accompany all minor children into and out of university facilities and remain on site for the full duration of each class.
Children’s Chorus drop-off service: the Music Prep School provides a supervised drop-off and pick-up service for UNM Children’s Chorus classes on Thursdays, with convenient drop-off and pick-up locations, and children released only to authorized adults with valid ID.
Note:
Class schedules, formats, and health protocols are subject to change in accordance with updated guidelines, mandates, or public health orders.
Preview Our Classes
Browse class descriptions and register using the tabs below.
For string lessons and classes, please visit the UNM String Lab School website.
Family Music (ages birth-3 and 4-7)
Children and their grown-ups explore music through singing, movement, rhythm, and playful musical experiences in a joyful and supportive community. Our classes are welcoming and inclusive of all families, learning styles, abilities, and developmental stages, creating a fun and engaging environment where children and families can connect, grow, and develop their musical selves.
An Adult/Child Class
Family Music (ages birth-3)
Saturdays: 9:00am – 9:45am
Teacher: Jolie Davidson
Click the link to register: Family Music (ages birth-3) 9:00am
Spanish Bilingual Family Music (ages birth-3)
Class instruction will be given in English and Spanish. All are welcome to join! Fluent Spanish is not required to take this class.
Saturdays: 10:00am & 11:00am
Teacher: Judy Castro
Click the link to register: Spanish Bilingual Family Music (ages birth-3) 10am & 11am
Family Music (ages 4-7)
Saturdays: 12:00pm – 12:45pm
Teacher: Mikel Sakamoto
Click the link to register: Family Music (ages 4-7) 12:00pm
Guitar (ages 8-17)
- In our fun and engaging guitar classes, students explore a variety of musical genres while learning essential techniques such as strumming patterns, chord progressions, and more. Along the way, they’ll build their skills as musicians and deepen their appreciation for different musical styles.
- Guitar students are expected to practice and complete weekly assignments and should have access to a guitar during the week. A limited number of guitars are available to rent for $25 per semester.
- Cost of book, copies, and materials included in price
- Grownups are expected to remain on site while their students are in class.
Saturdays, 10:00am, 11:00am, & 12:00pm
Teacher: Mel Moreno
Click the links below to register:
Beginning Guitar (ages 8-12) 10am
This class is for beginners ages 8-12 with little to no experience.
Guitar for Teens and Advanced Students 11am
This class is for beginners ages 13-17, as well as advanced students with 3 or more semesters of previous guitar experience of any age.
Continuing Guitar for Younger Students (ages 8-12) 12pm
This class is designed for continuing students ages 8-12.
Piano (ages 6 and up)
- Piano students are expected to practice and complete weekly assignments at home and should have access to a piano or keyboard during the week. A limited number of keyboards are available to rent for $25 per semester.
- Piano students should keep their fingernails short.
- Cost of book, copies, and materials included in price.
- Grownups are expected to remain on site while their students are in class.
Saturdays: 9:00am, 10:00am, 11:00am, 12:00pm & 1:00pm
Teacher: Natalia Tikhovidova
Click the links below to register:
Fall 2026 Piano: Half – 1 Year Experience 9am
This class is for continuing students (of all ages) who have taken 1/2 to 1 years of piano previously.
Fall 2026 Beginning Piano for Older Students (ages 8-10) 10am
This group piano class for children ages 8-10 is designed for participants to grasp the fundamentals, learn rhythm and notation reading, & music theory.
Fall 2026 Beginning Piano for Younger Students (ages 6-7) 11am
This group piano class for children ages 6-7 is designed for participants to grasp the fundamentals, learn rhythm and notation reading, & music theory.
Fall 2026 Piano: Over 1 Year Experience 12pm
This class is for continuing students (of all ages) who have taken more than 1 year of piano previously.
Fall 2026 Piano for Teens and Adults (ages 13+) 1pm
This class is for brand new beginners and experienced students ages 13+. Group piano classes are designed for participants to grasp the fundamentals, learn rhythm and notation reading, and music theory.
Ukulele Fam Jam (ages 5 and up)
- At least one adult must attend with child participant(s). ($5/adult)
- This class is designed for beginners with little to no experience and welcomes both children and their accompanying adults! Explore the wonderful world of music through ukulele playing, singing, and movement. Participants will learn the basics of ukulele like simple chords and strumming pattern, while jamming to popular songs and engaging in fun, interactive musical activities. Join us for a joyful and memorable musical experience!
- Required Materials: A tuner or tuning app. Soprano, concert, or tenor ukulele (no baritones). A limited number of ukuleles are available to rent for $25 from the UNM Music Prep School per session on a first-come, first-served basis.
Saturdays: 10:00am
Teacher: Sinix Pinkston
Click the link to register:
Fall 2026 Ukulele Fam Jam (ages 5+) 10am
Creative Musical Play (ages 4-7)
- Grownups are expected to remain on site while their students are in class.
Saturdays: 11:00am
Teacher: Dr. Beth Ratay
Click the link to register:
Children’s Chorus (grades K-8)
Thursdays: 4:30pm
Performances: Thursday, October 29 and Wednesday, November 18
Teachers: Sharee Gariety, Jolie Davidson, and Louise Loomis
Click the link to register:
Fall 2026 UNM Children’s Chorus (K-8th grade)
Music, Rhythm, & Movement (ages 4-7+)
This joyful class for brand new and returning students turns musical concepts into interactive games with music, rhythm, and movement, so children feel beat, rhythm, and pitch before they ever see a page of notes. Based on Dalcroze Eurhythmics, we explore music with the whole body and voice, using playful props to spark expression and imagination. It’s meaningful musicianship that feels like play—a perfect foundation for future instrumental study.
Dalcroze training is a hallmark of university and community music programs nationwide. Students who bring curiosity, focus, and a little self-discipline will thrive in this class!
- Grownups are expected to remain on site while their students are in class.
Saturdays: 10:00am
Teacher: Terri Reck
Click the link to register:
Fall 2026 Music, Rhythm, and Movement Level I & II (ages 4-7+) 10am
Thursday Morning Family Music (ages 12mo-5y)
Our classes are welcoming and inclusive of all families, learning styles, abilities, and developmental stages, creating a fun and engaging environment where children and families can connect, grow, and develop their musical selves.
Music for Me (ages 12mo-3y): Come join us for a joyful music-making experience that fosters musical growth and builds parent-child bonds.
An Adult/Child Class
Thursdays: 9:00am – 9:45am
Teacher: Allyssa Pehrson
Click the link to register: Music for Me (ages 12mo-3y)
Music and My World (ages 3-5y): This class focuses on teaching musical concepts and skills through experiential and play-based learning. Lessons include singing games, instrument play, creative movement, ear training, and beginning music notation and theory.
An Adult/Child Class
Thursdays: 10:00am – 10:45am
Teacher: Allyssa Pehrson
Click the link to register: Music and My World (ages 3-5)
Meet Our Staff
Music Prep School Operations Manager - Sean Umstead
Guitar – Mel Moreno
Spanish Bilingual Family Music - Judy Castro
Music Rhythm, and Movement - Terri Reck
Piano - Natalia Tikhovidova
UNM Children’s Chorus - Sharee Gariety
Musical Creativity – Dr. Beth Ratay
Family Music - Mikel Sakamoto
UNM Children’s Chorus – Louise Loomis
Ukulele Fam Jam - Sinix Pinkston
Donate to the Music Prep School
Donate NowTuition Assistance
Tuition waivers are limited and offered on a first-come, first-served basis to those who express need. To apply, download the Tuition Waiver Application and return it via email to musprep@unm.edu. Please do not register for classes until you receive a response and allow time for processing. The UNM Music Prep School is not responsible if a class fills up before a waiver is granted.
We are grateful you are part of our musical community!
Here’s how we’re working to keep all Music Prep School families safe and supported:
- Hand sanitizer available in all classrooms
- Disinfectant wipes available in the MPS office
- Compliance with all UNM Minors on Campus policies
- Ongoing cooperation with campus partners to maintain a safe and secure learning environment for all Music Prep School families
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: https://pats.unm.edu.
**UNM Music Prep School Cancellation Policy
If we determine that 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. Please note that there will be no makeup classes or refunds in the event of an emergency cancelation.
If a class must be cancelled due to instructor illness/emergency, every effort will be made to schedule a makeup class. If a makeup is not possible, the class will not be rescheduled, and no refunds will be issued.
If a cancelation is necessary, we will notify families immediately via email and/or by phone using the contact information provided at registration.
If you have any questions please contact us!
Operations Manager
To contact the Music Prep School, please email musprep@unm.edu