NORTH VALLEY MUSIC SCHOOL

North Valley Music School (NVMS) is the only nonprofit community music school in Montana. Founded in 1997, established as a 501c3 in 1998, NVMS enriches our Montana communities through music education, appreciation, and performance by offering musical opportunities to all ages. NVMS operates with an annual budget of $500,000. We have 3 staff and 21 teaching artists ranging in instrumentation and backgrounds. Our school has served thousands of music students in northwest Montana and beyond through private lessons, group classes, performing ensembles, outreach programs, and summer camps. NVMS has taught almost half a million lessons, and presented hundreds of recitals, concerts, and events around the Flathead Valley. Additionally, we’ve hosted free community programs, public and in-school outreach programs, and Veterans’ programs. NVMS awards over $30,000 to over 40 students each year.

Our Board of Directors consists of ten dedicated and passionate community members with different backgrounds and expertise. NVMS also has a strong council of Advisors, with over 20 community leaders and advocates of music education.

NVMS operates out of a 100-year-old home on Highway 93 coming into downtown Whitefish. The school has eight studios, comprised of converted bedrooms, bathrooms, and garage spaces, and rents two offices and the fellowship hall at a local church to serve over 700 students a year. In 2022, NVMS launched Be Instrumental, a capital campaign to build a new facility. This will enable us to teach more students, integrate modern technology into our programs, reach more underserved populations, and address safety and access concerns. The capital campaign's success will ensure NVMS's continued impact on personal lives and our community through music.

NVMS has strong community support with over 600 annual donors in a rural town. NVMS has a $600,000 endowment held at the Whitefish Community Foundation to sustain future operations and scholarships.