Our History of Making Music in
the CSRA for 15 years
Kindermusik of Augusta
opened with the blessings of St. John United Methodist Church in 1995. The program, offered as an outreach to the community of which St. John has been a part for
more than two centuries, was designed to provide family strengthening experiences and valuable, vital music education to very
young children. Jamie Council Garvey, organist and choirmaster at St. John, researched quality music programs for children and found Kindermusik
to be the finest music education program available. She was further impressed by the inclusion of the family in all levels
of instruction. A committee of church members serve as Kindermusik's Board of Directors.
Kindermusik of Augusta,
a not-for-profit organization, was the first licensed Kindermusik studio in Augusta. It boasts the services of licensed
Kindermusik educators. The program is now under the interim direction of Amy Toney, a teacher at Kindermusik of Augusta since 2010. Classes are offered within the range of
the public school year and summer camps are offered each June or July.
St. John United Methodist Church maintains
a great musical tradition. In addition to being the home of several talented choirs for regular worship services and the home
of the Kindermusik of Augusta studio, we were honored to be the home of the Jessye Norman School of the Arts which opened
in September of 2003. They have recently been granted a new facility. We also offer rehearsal space for many Augusta Arts
groups. Our Concerts With a Cause series has brought in a lot of money for area non-profit organizations.
Another
opportunity for musical education is the annual St. John Choir Camp held each summer for one week. Campers, ranging from upcoming
1st graders to middle school, are treated to visits from the area's finest singers and instrumentalists, as well as training
in choral singing, handbell/handchime ringing, music theory, creative movement, and drama. The week's classes
culminate in our worship service on Sunday morning where camp students present all of the music for the service. For more
information on Kindermusik Camps and Choir Camp, see our Summer Camp page.