Crescendo Academy of Music

Crescendo Academy of Music is a non profit community music school located in the Epic Center in downtown Kalamazoo. Crescendo offers lessons on strings, winds, piano, guitar, mandolin, ukulele, voice, percussion, theory and composition. We offer Music Together, a music and movement class for ages 0-6; group violin classes; Community Voices, an ensemble for teens and adults with mental disabilities; the Crescendo Fiddlers; chamber ensembles, and the Crescendo Community Strings Orchestra, an ensemble for adult amateur string players. It is also the sponsor of the Kalamazoo Mandolin & Guitar Orchestra.

As part of Marvelous Music, a collaboration with the Kalamazoo Symphony Orchestra, Crescendo offers Music Together classes to over 700 students in area Head Start, Great Start Readiness Programs, KRESA’s Great Start program, and KPS-PEEP classrooms.

The physical space of the academy includes nineteen teaching studios and two large ensemble rooms. Need-based financial aid is available for all of our programs.

Crescendo Academy of Music evolved from a violin program that was part of Western Michigan University’s Community Arts Program. When the program expanded to include violists and chamber music, the name was changed to Young Strings Academy and in 1988 YSA became an incorporated non-profit organization. In March of 2000, the academy moved into its permanent home in the Epic Center and the name was changed to Crescendo Academy of Music reflecting the growth of the academy.