Rocky Ridge Music is a nonprofit center of music education that offers summer and year-round programming to musicians of all ages and levels. By providing financial aid to both gifted and underprivileged students, we are committed to making world-class music education accessible to everyone.
"It was such a wonderful experience. This will always be my second home." -- Junior Music Camp student
"My favorite part about Rocky Ridge was the ability I had to express myself. I felt there were no limitations to what I could do with my music." -- Young Artist Seminar student
Rocky Ridge Music exists to elevate the musician inside each of us to the highest level through a unique, holistic approach - meeting every student there they are, helping them to learn, create, enjoy, and support music - ultimately making all of us more fulfilled as humans.
In 1942, pianist Beth Miller Harrod purchased the historic Hewes-Kirkwood Inn at the foot of Longs Peak and established a retreat where musicians would be able to immerse themselves in musical studies away from the distractions of daily life. With the high country as a backdrop, Harrod was able to realize her vision of creating a serene place for a unique experience joining intensive musical study in a close community of students and faculty with unparalleled natural beauty. This year, Rocky Ridge Music is celebrating both its 80th anniversary of providing summer music programming in this spectacular setting and the success of new ventures inaugurating a phase of growth and evolution.
This is Who We Are:
We believe in music.
It’s our first language, learned from nature.
Before we had words, there was a mother singing to her child, telling her of comfort and safety and love. Before there were words, we used tone, timbre and rhythm to rally our tribe, to build courage, to dispel fear, to create community.
By making music our own, we became who we are.
Our ancient ancestors lived in a dangerous, demanding world. Yet they took the time to carve instruments and make music.
Why? Because a musical mind is a creative mind and creativity is how we adapt and thrive as human beings.
All this is to say that music is not an ornament, not a luxury of a civilized world.
It is central to who we are, coming from deep within us, a connection between us that is both simple and incredibly rich. Learning music is learning about being human. It is learning about yourself and the world around you. This might be hard to remember when you’re pushing yourself to master your instrument, when you are deep in the struggle for excellence, but rest assured, the journey to becoming a better musician is the journey to becoming a better carpenter, doctor, beekeeper, bookkeeper, dentist, teacher or whatever you choose to become. The journey to becoming a better musician is a journey to becoming fully yourself.
That is the power and the potential of music.
And that is why we do what we do.
Organization name
Rocky Ridge Music
other names
Rocky Ridge Music, RRM, Rocky Ridge Music Center
1961
Tax id (EIN)
84-6035931
Category
Arts, Culture & Humanities
Organization Size
Medium Organization
Address
465 Longs Peak RoadHeadquarters
1128 Pine StreetBoulder County, CO, US
Larimer County, CO, US