ISM Mission

We believe that an education in the arts is one of the most essential and enriching experiences a child, youth or adult can enjoy. We are dedicated to providing students with an exceptional educational and artistic experience while fostering a lifelong appreciation of and commitment to excellence in music. The mission of ISM is to provide a nurturing environment while developing and enhancing the music skills of its students. ISM also strives to foster creative expression, promote personal enrichment and encourage a love of music.

ISM Goals

• Provide students of all ages with the skills they need to enjoy music for their lifetime, in an environment that is warm, nurturing and stimulating. 

• Foster a sense of community to the fullest extent possible.

• Provide an array of musical experiences for people of all ages.

• Develop a love and appreciation for music that lasts beyond the last music lesson.

• Believe that an education in music is one of the most essential and enriching experiences a child, youth, or adult can enjoy.

• Commit to recruiting and retaining credentialed and experienced faculty and staff, supporting them with appropriate facilities and resources.

• Foster deep relationships with musicians whose voices resonate from within our community, recognizing that the Washington Metropolitan Area is a haven not only for politics and intellect, but for the music spirit as well.

• Offer performance opportunities matching each student's  developing abilities, so they become confident and seasoned in sharing their accomplishments with others.

ISM Programs

With a distinguished faculty of 40 artist/teachers, ISM provides students with a rich and varied music education experience. Private instruction is offered in piano, violin, viola, cello, voice, percussion/drums, flute, recorder, clarinet, saxophone, harp, and guitar to students of all ages and levels.  ISM’s musical training includes Western Classical to jazz, opera, musical theater, folk and popular music. The ISM student has the benefit of outstanding individual instruction, as well as the opportunity to perform in a variety of ensembles. The continuously evolving curriculum currently includes classical music programs, summer programs, chamber ensembles, recitals, competitions, diploma program, Early Childhood Music and Adult Program. Each student is encouraged to join ensembles, enroll in theory/composition, or attend workshops and perform frequently by participating in recitals, competitions, or certifications.

Excellence, accessibility, and the joy of music-making in an environment that gives real meaning to the world community--these are the qualities that bring hundreds of students and their families to the ISM each year. We pride ourselves on the high standards we keep, while providing a music education that is warm, and supportive yet disciplined. At ISM we offer a carefully balanced program that will stimulate every aspect of your student’s musical development to achieve his or her personal best.

ISM Faculty

ISM only hires highly qualified musicians and professional artist--educators who are Washington's most sought--after teachers and performers. ISM faculty members go through an extensive application/interview/audition process when applying for teaching positions at ISM. Many of them have active performing careers, serve additionally on the faculties of area schools and colleges, and are nationally recognized pedagogues and adjudicators. Through both their teaching and performing, instructors demonstrate a commitment to fostering a love for the arts and building skills necessary for students to attain their highest potential.

ISM Teaching Philosophy

The teaching philosophy of ISM comes from belief that good education comes from not just instilling strong musical and technical fundamentals in students, but also to fostering a true appreciation for the arts. The ISM teaching style creates a positive atmosphere for learning, progress and fun for its students. At ISM, staff and faculty believe in the power of music -- music that builds students’ self-esteem and self-discipline, and that fosters their creative thinking skills. The faculty takes special care to cater to each student’s individual needs and goals, so they can develop as complete and versatile musicians. The students develop their technical, aural, rhythmic and reading skills, and they are encouraged to analyze, interpret, compose and sight-read. In older and more advanced students ISM teach musical clarity and power, technical facility, the production of a wide range of beautiful sounds, and an understanding of musical structure. Students learn not only technique but also the intent of the composer. The faculty works closely with students, understanding their gifts and challenges. Teachers also focus on the links between music, philosophy and art. Students learn to feel the hidden meanings and suggestiveness of the music, and to  merge these with their personal interpretation, so they move into the heart of the music they are playing. The ISM faculty has experience assisting students of all levels and ages. Their warm personalities, insightful approaches, and individually tailored teaching methods have produced astonishing results: their students have received superior ratings in music festivals, auditions, and competitions, and have been accepted as music majors in some of the best music colleges and conservatories in the USA and abroad.


ISM History

ISM’s roots began with a single piano studio in Silver Spring in 1993. As the waiting list for new students grew longer, the demand for additional musical instruction became too great to ignore. ISM was founded in the spring of 2004 and relocated to the Westwood Center II off River Rd, in Bethesda, allowing better outreach to all the communities surrounding the Washington Metropolitan Area. The program expanded to include instruction in a wide variety of instruments for children and adults of all ages and levels.
 

At the end of its first year of operation in the summer of 2005, ISM had 132 students and employed 12 teachers. The following year, ISM more than doubled its space by adding 7 new teaching studios in the Westwood Center. This expansion allowed ISM to expand beyond one-on-one instrumental lessons. ISM now provides group classes for Early Childhood music and chamber music, summer camp programs, concerts, and community outreach activities annually to reach thousands of people of all ages, levels, and backgrounds.
 

Now in its 4th  year of operation, ISM has grown to over 450 students and over 43 faculty members.
 

From its beginning, ISM has been committed to fostering high quality musical education. ISM is continually improving its programs and expanded the reach of its services to further benefit the communities it serves. For this reason, ISM has grown to become one of Montgomery County’s finest music programs.

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