Settlement Music School

Specialties

Settlement Music School is the largest community school of the arts in the United States. With six locations in South, West and Northeast Philadelphia, Germantown, Willow Grove and Camden, New Jersey, the School provides 10,000 weekly services of individual lessons, classes and activities in music, dance and visual arts to children and adults without regard to age, race or financial circumstances, and awards nearly $ 2 million annually in financial aid and scholarships.

History

Established in 1908.

Settlement Music School was founded in 1908 by Jeanette Selig Frank and Blanche Wolf Kohn as the music program of the College Settlement in the Southwark section of Philadelphia. The College Settlement was a typical turn-​of-​the-​century settlement house offering a variety of services to the newly arrived immigrants in the community. The music program grew rapidly from volunteers offering piano lessons for a nickel to a full program of instruction in all musical instruments taught by professionals, including several members of the Philadelphia Orchestra. By 1914, Settlement was incorporated as an independent community school of the arts.

Settlement Music School first moved into the Camden community in 1997. In 2015, the Camden Branch moved to its new home at the Creative Arts Morgan Village Academy.

Meet the Manager

Valerie C.

Manager

Valerie Clayton, Branch Director

Settlement Music School Camden Branch

A been a member of the School’s voice faculty since 1990, Ms. Clayton received her Bachelors degree in education from Boston University and her Masters from Temple University in opera performance. She previously taught at the Community College of Philadelphia and Bryn Mawr Conservatory, has been a music specialist in the Philadelphia public school system, and served as music director at area churches.