A Message From. Our Founder

Here we go… it’s the start of another year. It’s the time when people think about their lives and what they did or did not do in the previous year. It’s the time when people make resolutions, set goals, and all those good things. I do it every year as well! I enjoy the process of self-reflection and challenging myself to do things I have not yet done and to “stay on track” with my professional and personal goals.

My beautiful daughter Karter & I

 What are your resolutions for 2023? I listened to a great talk on how to set realistic goals that people can actually stick to. Setting smaller “daily” goals tend to be easier to follow through with than big “lofty” ones. My main goal for this year as of now is to start playing my ukulele again. I was doing pretty well with it and then a year and a half ago my dog Bella died, and I just stopped. For an entire year and a half. I recently remembered that Bella would always be at my feet when I practiced. She was just “there.” Without her, I think I have felt like something was missing from my practice. So this is my resolve…I will invite her to be there with me every day when I pick up my uke to play. I have many photos and other things around me that I see every day, that remind me of her. So I will just know that she is with me as I play again (-:

I do have a few other goals...but that is my main one!

What are your resolutions? 

Maybe you are like me and you (or your child) want to practice your music every day!

To help you along with that, Fresno Music Academy & Arts is offering practice journals to anyone that would like one. It’s a way to help keep you or your child “on track” with their music lessons. It can help set reasonable goals and help you to become the musician you want to be. 

The practice journal is a combination of materials I borrowed from several websites and my own thoughts about practicing. (So I cannot take credit for this entirely.) I hope that you and/or your child find this useful. 

Happy New Year!

Love, Deb

Thank You!

To everyone who donated to our One Warm Coat and Poverello House collections!

We appreciate you taking the time to help those in need during the holiday season!

Elvis Stickers

Woo-hoo! New merchandise is available in our front office! Including STICKERS of our beloved kitty cat, Elvis!

Classic Elvis with his fantastic pompadour AND a limited edition Santa hat version are on sale now... Keep an eye out!

Have you thought about your resolutions for the upcoming year? What could be better than learning a new instrument/skill? Call us today and we'll sign you up with this great deal-- Purchase 11 months of lessons and get the 12th free! Exp. 02/14/2023

Doris Gallery Dedication

The Doris Gallery, named after Doris Elaine Alden, is Fresno Music Academy & Art's in-house art display we use to showcase a new local artist every month. On Thursday, Jan 5th we will be hanging a new sign to commemorate the space and our appreciation for the woman who inspired many artists herself.

*examples of previous artworks

Artist Of The Month

Check it out, we've got a new artist exhibiting this month!

Join us for Art Hop on January 5th at Fresno Music Academy & Arts for the beautiful exhibition, Nicole Ellis: Peace and Understanding in the Darkroom.

Ellis uses the creation of analog photography as an escape, an endeavor to plumb the depths of her own soul and headspace. The development of film and production of silver gelatin and cyanotype prints requires an extended amount of time in the darkroom during which moments of peace and understanding are found. Her use of self-portraiture created through the physical manipulation of negatives, splatters of emulsion, and tears and cuts to the surface of the paper often serve as a representation of how she is feeling about herself and the world. The resulting images, in which the imagery reveals itself in layers of processes often revealing the hand of the artist are transcendent. They are on view during Art Hop and anytime the school is open this month!

This year's Winter Wonderland Showcase was a huge success! As always, we'd like to thank our hard-working students, teachers, and staff for putting so much effort into making our concerts so great! Take a look at some of these captured moments.

These beautiful captures (and more) are available in high-quality using the link below! Take a look at our showcase gallery, previous showcases are listed as well!

- Coming Soon -

Similar to Music Fun Time, this program weaves together both process and product in a curriculum while integrating all the fundamentals of art including line, color, shape, pattern & texture. We will also Master Artists once a month in our preschool curriculum Art FUNdamentals!

STARTING IN MARCH!

Pick your favorite love song and sign up today! This showcase is for adults only, but don't worry- our other students will have more performing opportunities soon!

This is a great opportunity for both experienced and emerging artists! Pay at the door for snacks, a costumed model to reference (different costumes every session) , and a great night of creative fun!

GET YOUR SONGS READY, OUR THIRD ANNUAL SONGWRITING COMPETITION IS HERE! The theme is: TOMORROW

CASH PRIZES WILL BE AVAILABLE TO THE WINNERS OF BOTH AGE CATEGORIES (17 & BELOW, 18 & ABOVE)

All entries are limited to residents of Fresno and adjacent cities and counties. There is a $10.00 entry fee.

February 13th-17th is KINDNESS WEEK at Fresno Music Academy & Arts! It serves as a reminder for everyone to remain aware of how important your impact is in this world and how any small gesture of goodwill can change someone's day! During this time, notes will be available at the front desk if you feel moved to write a kind thought down for someone special to you- or even for someone you barely know!

Kindness is action!

Fix The Vista!

You may have heard about our efforts to raise money to repair our in-house theater venue! It has served as a crucial performance space for our students and community for many years, and now it's our goal to make it even better! Want to help? Keep reading!

Check out our GoFundMe page to read all about what

improvements we will be making!

Business Highlight

Alchemist Coffee Lab is a specialty coffee shop located in Fresno's Tower District (right next door to us!)

They offer a wide variety of drinks, such as tea, chai, matcha and of course coffee! They roast their own specialty grade coffee from all over the world.

They offer different types of coffee experiences, such as Syphon, Flights (pour over and espresso), and Turkish coffee.

They offer pastries from local bakers and offer a wide selection of food items as well!

Music Stand Give-Away

This month's winners are:

TOWER - Cameron Manning

NORTH - TBA

We hope you enjoy that music stand and put it to good use! Remember, practice makes perfect!

Each month we are giving away one music stand valued at $35 to a lucky student here at FMAA! Each time you show up to your lesson in person, write your name on the slip of paper provided and enter to win! You may enter each week that you come in!

🎶 Books About Music 🎶



When is the last time you sat down to read a good book? Here are some classic stories about music that may peak your interest!

“Sonny’s Blues,” James Baldwin

“A Wagner Matinee,” Willa Cather

“Music,” Vladimir Nabokov

“Rothschild’s Fiddle,” Anton Chekhov

“Wunderkind,” Carson McCullers

“The String Quartet,” Virginia Woolf

The Kreutzer Sonata, Leo Tolstoy

Happy reading!

OUR HOURS:

Monday - Friday, 10AM - 7PM and Saturday, 9AM - 3PM

We offer lessons in: Voice, piano, guitar, bass, ukulele, drums, violin, flute, clarinet, and a recognized early childhood music program MUSIC FUNTIME.