by Courtney Musser
Jeffery Tribble, the President and CEO of Levine Music, which opened its newest campus in West Falls Church in mid-February, describes Levine as a “home for musical discovery.” Founded in 1976 by three women from New York City who decided Washington needed a music school, Levine’s mission was to welcome anyone with an interest in learning music, regardless of age, ability or means. Levine’s first home was in the basement of a church on Massachusetts Ave NW. Their flagship campus now sits on Upton Street in Northwest DC at the former Carnegie Geophysical Labs, which was bought in 1992 and subsequently transformed into a school, housing rooms for individual and group lessons, performance spaces and more. Levine also has a campus at the Music Center at Strathmore in Bethesda, MD, and another in downtown Silver Spring.
Its vision of, and commitment to, providing music education opportunities to all communities can be seen in its decision early on to establish a presence in Washington DC’s Wards 7 and 8. Levine has had a presence there for the past 30 years. Most recently, Levine was one of 13 founding partners of Town Hall Education Arts Recreation Campus (THEARC), where, in addition to music lessons, children can participate in programs at The Boys and Girls Club, The Washington Ballet and DC Central Kitchen. Levine’s campus at THEARC is now celebrating 20 years.
Levine’s offerings include private and group music instruction for all ages and abilities, including a music program called First Music, designed to engage young children beginning at 4 months and their families/caregivers. While private lessons are at the heart of its programming, learning at Levine means joining a community of music professionals and music lovers. Says Tribble, Levine is dedicated to meeting its students where they are, opening their ears to a world of music and cultivating a love of all things musical.
From the outset, Levine has sought to cultivate and develop partnerships with professional musicians, such as the National Symphony Orchestra. These relationships have evolved over time so that Levine is now in a position to offer its students masterclasses and performances with professional musicians.
While the vast majority of lessons at Levine take place in person, online classes are available when they meet the needs of the student. Levine also runs a summer camp for beginning music students from ages 4-11, which will be offered at their new Falls Church location this summer. Camp Levine has been recognized by Washington’s City Paper’s annual Best of DC awards as one of the best summer camps in DC for the last six years, winning the title of Best Summer Camp for the past four years.
When I asked Tribble what distinguishes the Levine experience from the many other music schools from which parents and children may choose, he emphasized the breadth of experiences available to students and the quality of instruction offered by its expert faculty. Levine provides a robust performance and jury program that gives students a chance to perform and be reviewed by subject matter experts. Levine also facilitates a communal musical experience, whether through playing together with other students in an orchestra, string quartet, jazz combo, or rock band, under the guidance of a faculty coach, hearing your teacher perform in a concert, seeing world-class guest artists in masterclasses, learning about music theory alongside your lessons, or borrowing material from the musical library.
The entrance to Levine Music is situated directly across from the Falls Church City’s Meridian High School and is currently welcoming students.
