Derison Duarte’s love of music started a long way from Chapel Hill.
“I grew up in St. Louis,” he said. “There was a very prominent community music school in the city that was instrumental in my development as a pianist.”
Duarte, a lecturer in the music department, said his childhood experience inspired him to start the UNC Community Music School this year.
The school is a program that offers music instruction to the community at large four days a week in the Kenan Music Building .
It hosts a variety of music classes — everything from guitar lessons to music composition — to everyone over age six.
Students pay a fee, which ranges from about $200 to $400, to take the classes, and that tuition funds the entire program.
The Community Music School consists of about six instructors for group classes — some are UNC faculty and others teach music within the community. There are also instructors available for private lessons.
Duarte said the idea had been discussed in the music department for two years but did not pick up momentum until this past year.
He said that the school is still in its primary stages.