Announcing
JWJCSA's Spring 2026 Music and Arts Programs
This spring, JWJCSA opens its doors to new voices and creative minds across our community. Explore classes in music, writing, and visual arts that honor culture, foster creativity, and welcome learners from childhood through adulthood. Details will be announced soon—spread the word and plan to join us this spring.
📅 Registration Opens Late November!
🎶 Private Music Lessons
Voice • Piano • Violin • Guitar
Ages 7+ | Format: 30, 45, or 60-min Weekly | 10-week session, In-person or Virtual
Discover the joy of music through personalized one-on-one instruction in voice, piano, violin, or guitar. Our experienced instructors tailor each lesson to the student’s age, interests, and skill level—whether beginner or advanced. Over the course of 10 weekly sessions, students build strong foundational skills, explore new techniques, and grow in confidence and creativity. These lessons offer an encouraging environment where students can develop at their own pace and connect their musical learning to personal expression, cultural heritage, and community.
🎯 Why enroll?
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Personalized learning path
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Flexible formats (in-person & online)
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Perform at your own pace
💫 Creative Arts Classes
🎤 Voices United: Group Vocal Ensemble
Age Groups: 10–13 and 14+ | 10-week session | In-person
Raise your voice in harmony with others in this engaging, joyful class designed to build vocal technique, performance skills, and musical confidence. Students learn breath control, pitch, diction, and expression while singing songs that reflect our shared cultural heritage and contemporary influences. This class is perfect for singers eager to explore their voice in a positive, affirming community.
✍🏾 Lift Every Voice: Foundations in Creative Writing
Ages 14+ | 10-week session | In-person
Discover the power of your voice through storytelling. This interactive course introduces students to the core elements of creative writing—including character, setting, dialogue, and plot—while exploring poetry, short stories, and scriptwriting. Inspired by the legacy of James Weldon Johnson, participants will read diverse writers, reflect on their own experiences, and develop original work in a supportive, collaborative space. Whether you’re new to writing or looking to sharpen your skills, this class will help you build confidence, unlock creativity, and tell the stories only you can tell.
✍🏽 Story Builders: Creative Writing for Curious Minds
Ages 10–13 | 10-week session | In-person
Designed for young storytellers, this fun and interactive class teaches how to turn ideas into exciting narratives. Students experiment with poetry, adventure tales, and short plays while learning structure, dialogue, and descriptive language. They’ll gain confidence and creativity as they share their original work.
🎨 Art Lab: Draw, Paint & Design
Age Groups: 10–13 and 14+ | 10-week session | In-person
Unleash your creativity while exploring multiple art mediums—from sketching and watercolor to digital and poster design. Whether drawing from life or imagination, students experiment, express themselves, and develop confidence in their artistic voice.
Creative Legacy Lab: Writing Your Story, Your Way
Ages 35+ | 10-week session | In-person
Everyone has a story worth telling. In this guided workshop, adults reflect on their life experiences through poetry, memoir, and creative expression. Participants craft short stories, essays, or poems and share their voices in a culminating community showcase or printed collection.
🌟 Special Events
🎵 Black Composers Concert
📅 Saturday, February 21, 2026 | 🕒 3:00 PM
Our annual signature event celebrating the rich and varied contributions of composers of African descent to the fine art of music. Inaugurated in its current form in 1993 by Karen Egypt, the concert was founded to promote the study, performance, and appreciation of works by Black composers and to build community awareness of their enduring impact.
Each year, students and professional artists from diverse backgrounds unite on stage to deliver an engaging, uplifting, and educational experience. The concert series spans genres and eras—from classical and opera to jazz and contemporary styles—featuring works that blend African diasporic traditions with jazz, R&B, salsa, reggae, and indigenous rhythms. The Black Composers Concert invites the community to explore and celebrate a global musical heritage that continues to evolve and inspire.
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✨ Verse & Vision Showcase
📅 Date & Time: TBD
A seasonal celebration of creativity and community, the Verse & Vision Showcase highlights the diverse voices and artistic talents of JWJCSA students in music, creative writing, and visual arts. From poetry and prose to inspiring performances and stunning visual pieces, this event reflects the spirit of expression and unity that defines the
James Weldon Johnson Community School of the Arts.
Join us as our students share their work in an uplifting afternoon that celebrates imagination, collaboration, and the power of the arts to bring people together.