Community Music School sets sights on new home

• Starting the search for a new home
• Possible future collaborations
• Community can help

Since 1991, the Kelowna Community Music School (KCMS) has been on DeHart Avenue, but they need more room to grow.

They’ve started the process of finding a new home, whether it’s a plot of land to build on, or something to tailor to their needs.

Their current building is about 2,700 square feet with 12 studios, catering for more than 300 registered students. But they’ve now sold it and the new owners are leasing it back to them until July 2024.

Executive Director Lucy Benwell told Kelowna10 while it’s too early to start figuring out financials, they first need to identify their biggest needs.

“What we’re looking for is a unit that will allow us to have larger group programming as well as lessons,” she said. “One big issue we have around here is parking and soundproofing. We’re either looking for a plot of land to build on or something we can retrofit to suit our services.”

She said the topic of a new building has been ongoing for several years from families and teachers specifically about the limitations the current building has, including a need for larger studios.

Benwell adds the hope is a new space for them will create more opportunities to collaborate with other groups.

“I think the biggest impact will be sharing the space with others, bringing more people in who otherwise wouldn’t be able to afford lessons and sharing it with other arts communities,” she said.

Most of the funding will come from grants, donors, fundraising and community support.

“It’s a very exciting time, it’s also scary but I think we’re just taking that leap of faith in order to better serve the community,” Benwell said. “We will be asking the community to help us do that once we establish what the fundraising plans are.”

She added they are looking for more board members for the school. Anyone interested can apply online.

KCMS is a member of the BC Association of Community Music Schools and is a registered non-profit organization.