Ohio State is in the process of revising websites and program materials to accurately reflect compliance with the law. While this work occurs, language referencing protected class status or other activities prohibited by Ohio Senate Bill 1 may still appear in some places. However, all programs and activities are being administered in compliance with federal and state law.

Community Music School Pass — The Community Music School at AAAS CEC

Community Music School Pass — The Community Music School at AAAS CEC

Community Music School Pass

The Community Music School (CMS) in the School of Music at The Ohio State University offers music instruction to children and adults. We teach students of all ages with diverse backgrounds, skill levels and education goals. 
 
Library patrons may register for the 2026 CMS Spring Session classes offered at the African American and African Studies Community Extension Center (AAAS CEC) for FREE while seats are available. Participants are enrolled in order of date and time their registration is received. 
 
This program will broaden engagement and sustain outreach activities in communities immediately adjacent to the extension center. 

Browse our class offerings below and register before January 11. Registration is open. 

Program Details 

LOCATION — African American and African Studies Community Extension Center (AAAS CEC)

  • 905 Mt. Vernon Ave., Columbus, 43203
  • Parking is available in the front and back of the building

Meet the CMS staff 

Registration

Deadline — Sunday, January 11, 2026

STEP 1 — Complete and submit the online registration form. 

Class Registration

January 12–14, participants will receive a confirmation email with instructions for arrival at AAAS CEC and details for the first class. 

Spring Classes 

All classes are offered on Wednesdays, January 14—May 6, 2026, unless marked *
 

The Beatles

Wednesdays from 7–7:50 p.m.

Eligibility — Students in grades 7–12 and adults

Beatles Class will analyze the band's music, history, and cultural impact, covering The Beatles evolution from skiffle and rock and roll to studio experimentation, while also exploring the band's influences and legacy on culture, fashion, and art. The course includes listening, studies the technology of the time, and discusses the social and political context of the 1960s. Aaron Scott, instructor. 

Careers in Music

Wednesdays from 6–6:50 p.m.

Eligibility — Students in grades 9–12 and adults

Careers in Music provides an overview of the many career paths in the music industry. This course is led by a new CMS Instructor each week and covers a variety of topics. These topics include composition, conducting, performance, education, private teaching, and music retail to name a few.

Classical Music

Wednesdays from 6–6:50 p.m.

Eligibility — Students in grades 9–12 and adults

The Classical Music course is an introduction to the history and appreciation of western art music. Musical works, musicians, and audiences will be studied in the context of culture, technology, and historical developments from Ancient Greece to the present day. Participants will learn how to listen thoughtfully so as to better enjoy western art music through a firmer understanding of its general constructive principles and the artistic intentions of those who composed it. Manuel Vizurraga, instructor. 

Film Music

Wednesdays from 5–5:50 p.m.

Eligibility — Students in grades 9–12 and adults

In the Film Music class, participants will explore the history and aesthetics of music in cinema. Participants will learn about the history of cinema through the lens of its music, examine scenes from classical films, and learn about the features of film music, such as varying orchestration, leitmotifs, sound design, effects, and diegetic vs. non-diegetic music. Aaron Scott, instructor.

History of Jazz

Wednesdays from 4–4:50 p.m.

Eligibility — Students in grades 9–12 and adults

The History of Jazz covers the history of jazz, from its origins to the present day. The class will also include the development of jazz styles, the influence of jazz on culture, and the contributions of notable jazz artists. Lucinda Dunne, instructor.

Infant Music Class

Wednesdays, January 28–April 1 from 5–5:50 p.m. *

Eligibility — Parent with their infants/toddlers, ages 0 to 36 months 

Designed for Latinx families with children aged 0 to 36 months, this class uses music to celebrate and strengthen cultural diversity at home. Families will enjoy both structured and free activities that encourage creativity and build a supportive community. They will also receive resources to keep making music at home, focusing on culturally relevant songs, rhymes, and music games. Natalia Moreno Buitrago, instructor.

Introduction to Musical Theatre

Wednesdays from 5–5:50 p.m.

Eligibility — Students in grades 7–12

Introduction to Musical Theatre combines acting, singing and dance in an engaging environment for students of all abilities and backgrounds. It will expose participants to a variety of styles, acting technique, vocal technique and performance, audition technique, musical theatre history, musicianship, stage movement and combat, and will enhance the participants’ storytelling and performance skills. Jordan Popovsky, instructor.

Music Theory 1

Wednesdays from 4–4:50 p.m.

Eligibility — Students in grades 7–12 and adults.

Music Theory 1 class teaches participants how to read, listen to, and understand music. It will begin with an overview of the most basic aspects of music and continue with a rigorous exploration of the inner workings of melody, harmony, and scales as they are used in classical, jazz, and popular music. Students will learn how to read musical notes on a staff, write and use correct rhythmic notation, construct scales and intervals, and recognize them by ear. They will also develop music listening, reading, and writing skills through exercises and ear training practice. The content is more appropriate for students with some musical experience. Music Theory I covers topics such as staff, notes, pitch, clef, meter, accidentals, etc. TBA, instructor.

Music Theory 2

Wednesdays from 5–5:50 p.m.

Eligibility — Students in grades 7–12 and adults. Appropriate for students with some musical experience.

The Community Music School (CMS) Music Theory 2 is a continuation of Music Theory 1. Participants learn chords, scales, and chord progressions. TBA, instructor.

Popular Music in America

Wednesdays from 6–6:50 p.m.

Eligibility — Students in grades 7–12 and adults

Popular Music in America is an introduction to the roots and history of popular music in America from the 1830s to the present, and will include an examination of such popular styles as Jazz, Swing, Tin Pan Alley, Rock, Country, Latin, Rap, and Hip Hop. Participants will gain an increased awareness of the heritage of popular music, and become aware of its evolutionary momentum to become the dominant world-wide musical styles of the twenty-first century. Aaron Scott, instructor.

Preschool Music Class

Wednesdays from 4–4:50 p.m. *

Eligibility — Children, ages 3–5 

The Preschool Music Class promotes the development of cognitive, listening, and social skills, language, and emotional expression. Students will sing, dance, play musical games, read and recite nursery rhymes, make musical instruments, and read music-based books. Jordan Popovsky, instructor.

Sight Singing Class

Wednesdays from 7–7:50 p.m.

Eligibility — Students in grades 7–12

Sight Singing class teaches participants how to improve listening skills to better understand music theory concepts. It includes reading and performing various rhythmic patterns, including different note durations and time signatures. Participants will learn how to identify and sing intervals, such as seconds, thirds, and leaps, and sing melodies using different scales and modes. Participants will also learn how to aurally recognize and perform basic harmonic progressions and chord structures. Tirzah Washington, instructor. 

Video Game Music

Wednesdays from 4–4:50 p.m.

Eligibility — Students in grades 7–12 and adults

Video Game Music surveys game music from the first synthesized sounds to modern orchestral compositions. Participants will learn the techniques to aurally analyze game music. Ila Sharma, instructor.

World Music

Wednesdays from 4–4:50 p.m.

Eligibility — Students in grades 9–12 and adults

World Music is an introduction to the music of the people of the World, examining the place of music in distilling culture and its importance in the way of life of the people of that culture. This class fosters lifelong curiosity and a desire to experience and appreciate music in all its forms. Participants will study the culture, instruments, musical elements, dominant attitude toward music creation and performance, while identifying the musical differences as well as the similarities between cultures. Aaron Scott, instructor.

Questions? 

Email the CMS manager at CommunityMusicSchool@osu.edu.

Visit Community Music School for all our paid options, including private lessons and ensembles.