About the Columbia Institute of Fine Arts
The Columbia Institute of Fine Arts is a ministry of Columbia Baptist Church, which seeks to impact our community in new and meaningful ways. The goals of the Institute are to provide quality instruction in music and to help prepare students for future service through the development of skills for performance and ministry. It is the belief of the Institute that our talents have been given by God and that it is our responsibility to develop them for God’s honor and glory. The Columbia Institute of Fine Arts is a program of education in which students receive lessons and classroom instruction in music and the arts. The Institute operates under the Worship, Music and Arts Ministry of Columbia Baptist Church and in keeping with the philosophy and purpose statement of the church. Columbia’s purpose statement is “Igniting Passion for Jesus Christ from Metro Washington to the World.”
Over 350 students of all ages and all faith traditions attend music lessons and classes at the Columbia Institute of Fine Arts.
Faculty and Instructional Programs
The faculty of the Columbia Institute of Fine Arts consists of more than 25 instructors, all of whom have undergraduate and graduate training in music, and are experienced performance artists at the top of their fields. They provide private instruction in virtually all musical instruments. Weekly lessons are 30 minutes, 45 minutes, or one hour.
In addition, the instructors provide group classes and summer workshops for various instruments and ensembles. Please call or write the Institute for additional information regarding any of our group lessons and other programs.
Examples of group classes include:
- Beginning and intermediate bands for home-schooled children (and others who wish to participate,)
- Percussion ensembles
- Jazz ensembles
- Piano techniques for instrumental accompaniment
- Music theory
Other programs include:
- Musikgarten™, available for children from birth to age nine, consists of weekly classes, which are carefully planned to meet the developmental needs of children. This program encourages musical bonding between parent and child, which occurs in experiences involving songs, movement, games, instruments and listening. The Musikgarten™ curriculum culminates in a group keyboard class, which provides an excellent transition to private lesson study.
- The Suzuki violin studio is another special program that encourages musical bonding between parent and child. In this program, students begin violin instruction at age three (or older) and often achieve remarkable skills at a very early age. The much-acclaimed Suzuki method includes a combination of group and individual instruction, and requires a serious commitment of parental involvement.
- Music therapy includes both group and individual music experiences for children and adults of all ages with special needs. The sessions are participation-based rather than performance-based, as the intent is not to train, but rather is to achieve non-musical, therapeutic goals. Examples of these goals would be to increase attention span, communication skills, cognitive skills, fine and gross motor skills, and possibly to improve socialization and interaction with peers.
About the Worship, Music & Arts Ministry of Columbia Baptist Church
Students of the Columbia Institute of Fine Arts, as well as their families and friends, are invited to explore the many opportunities that Columbia Baptist Church provides through its Worship, Music and Arts Ministry. In addition to our Sanctuary Orchestra, Handbell Choir, The Contemporary Worship Service’s Praise & Worship team, and other instrumental ensembles, Columbia has a number of choirs: the Sanctuary Choir (the Sunday morning service choir,) the Gospel Choir, the Joy Singers (senior adults,) and the Youth Choir (grades 7-12.) Our Children’s Arts ministry offers choir for children 3 years old through 6th grade, as well as classes in handbells, drama and other fine arts. All of these organizations are open to non-members as well as members, including students of the Institute.
Staff
Jim Watson, Pastor for Worship, Music and Arts
Elaine Payne, Associate Minister of Music/Organist
Larry Claussen, Director, Columbia Institute of Fine Arts
Brenda Arthur, Musikgarten™ Coordinator
Stacy Lewis, Administrative Assistant to the Columbia Institute of Fine Arts
Don Palmire, Director of Instrumental Music
Ryan Walker, Worship Leader, Celebration Service, Soul Café
