Academy of Musical Performance

The Academy of Musical Performance is proud to have been selected for funding for the 2023-2024 grant cycle. Our project is called the Rock & Roll University. It is an immersive music education with a focus on rock tunes, culturally relevant music, and modern pieces. PreAmp is a program aimed at young musicians being introduced to the wonderful world of music and performing and our Instrument Zoo is a chance for us to engage the community where they are (festivals, market nights, etc.) and give them a hands-on experience.Our flagship program and foundation of our project is called the AMP Sessions. These sessions allow the bands to learn music and perfect their stage performance including choreography, mic control, elements of stage design, and show production. All of these programs combine to form our AMP Rock &Roll University

Contact: Michele Penn - michele@ampcv.org

AMP’s Summer day camps keep local youth engaged in quality education programs centered around music-making in small group formats. AMP runs two day camps: AMP Summer Camp and AMP.

AMP Summer Camp is AMP’s unique flagship Rock Band program for Coachella Valley youth in 6th—12th grade. For three weeks, musicians collaborate on original and cover music in bands on professional equipment with the help of Music Coaches, culminating in a public performance in front of hundreds of people.

AMP is a day camp for youth in 3rd-5th grade, centered around singing and playing the ukulele in a group format. This program serves kids with any range of musical experience, and allows many students their first opportunity to play songs they already know on an accessible and modern instrument, kick-starting their interest in music.

In many cases, these programs have not only enriched a young person’s life but has breathed life into a young person who may have considered themselves different. Now, they have a community of friends who are peers, no matter what the age difference or school they attend. In a time where mental health is paramount, this program increases self-confidence and unites families. Again, our deepest gratitude to you. You are changing the lives of our young people through the power of the music they love. Thank you for making a difference!

The Academy of Musical Performance (AMP) is a non-profit that offers affordable contemporary music education programs to young people ages 10-18 living in the Coachella Valley. AMP is best known for being a "school of rock," but we offer a diverse amount of other community music programs, with the aim of fostering productivity and social responsibility through creativity, communication and collaboration in individual and group music programs based around performing, rehearsing, writing, recording, and marketing.

In the past, AMP was able to offer our programs free of charge to our young musicians. After our initial 3-year funding commitment from Goldenvoice ended in 2017, we began charging tuition for many programs. However, in keeping with our mission, we were able to raise enough funds to create a Tuition Assistance program so that any deserving young musician could continue with much of our AMP programming, free of charge.

In 2020, AMP added a Private Instruction program to our programming roster. While we had to move all of our lessons online in March, the lesson program continues to grow. With the help of Anderson Children's Foundation, we are able to offer the amazing opportunity of very affordable private instruction to many students through our Tuition Assistance program in Fall 2020.

The Academy of Musical Performance (AMP) is a contemporary music education program whose goal is to enrich the lives of young musicians age 10-18 living in the Coachella Valley by fostering productivity and social responsibility through creativity, communication and collaboration in the development and enhancement of musical performance and concert production skills through participation in a "rock band" style educational setting.

Many of these young musicians had only played their instrument alone, often isolated and felt "different" from other kids their age. Many are not into sports or leadership or academics. This program has created a community of peers for these kids and now that it extends beyond a summer camp, they are able to showcase their talents and efforts to their families and other kids in school who may have otherwise considered them outcasts. Now, we see these kids blossom, grades improve, engagement with family improves and their leadership skills emerge.

It's absolutely vital to the youth in our valley who may be struggling alone, feeling different.