Since our founding in 1979, Merit School of Music has successfully motivated and inspired over 45,000 young people with high-quality music instruction. Our broad-ranging comprehensive curriculum, our sense of community and the standard of excellence set forth by our faculty and students are the three major components of our success.

Merit offers a broad-ranging, comprehensive curriculum

We offer a multi-leveled, structured curriculum in a college preparatory environment. Programs take place at the Joy Faith Knapp Music Center in Chicago’s West Loop and at off-site locations in neighborhoods across the City. Instruction is offered to students of all ages, from infants to adults, and from beginners to the Juilliard-bound.

Merit is locally and nationally recognized as an exemplary community music school that offers comprehensive training to a diverse population of students. Merit is a member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, the Illinois Arts Alliance, the Illinois Alliance for Arts in Education, the Chicago Consortium of Community Music Schools and the Chicago Music Alliance.

Merit is a warm, diverse community that develops the whole child

Merit students learn in one of the most uniquely diverse educational communities in the nation. The school draws children from all of Chicago’s 77 neighborhoods and nearly 70 surrounding suburbs.

A warm and supportive network of dedicated teachers, involved parents, mentors and volunteers underscore this diversity. There is a place for everyone at Merit—we welcome your involvement as a student or parent; or encourage you to become part of our thriving mentor program, or one of our many committed volunteers.

Through music, Merit helps children meet and accomplish important life goals. We develop long-term relationships with children and their families and help them with everything from college counseling to lessons on in social responsibility and personal deportment development.

Merit students and faculty set a standard of excellence

The rigor and effectiveness of our program has been demonstrated year after year, as we send scores of students to acclaimed summer festivals and camps such as Interlochen and Tanglewood; watch as our most advanced students win prestigious city, state and nation-wide competitions; and read rave reviews in the press praising the skill and maturity of student performances.

Our students benefit from a rigorous college preparatory atmosphere—for the past three years, 100% of Merit seniors have graduated from high school and gained admission to higher education. A majority of students attend prestigious colleges and universities, many on full or partial scholarship.

Merit employs an outstanding faculty of over 90 professional performing musicians committed to bringing out the best in each student. Merit faculty members hold degrees from Juilliard, The Paris Conservatoire, Eastman, Yale, Peabody, The New England Conservatory, The University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and music schools in Canada, Russia and the Ukraine. Merit hosts numerous recitals and master classes each year, which in the past have included visits by Andre Watts, Yo-Yo Ma and Emanuel Ax. For our most advanced students, Merit also offers additional opportunities such as chamber music classes and increased private lesson support.

Our Mission

History

Overview

Video

Community Partnerships