Fall registration open now! Classes begin September 5. Registration closes September 12.
JMU Music Academy
Designed for beginners and developing learners, Music Academy classes are tailored for adults to make music in a fun, no-pressure environment!
These recreational music classes meet on JMU campus and are open to JMU faculty, staff, students, and adults of the local community.
Classes are offered in full sessions or half sessions depending on theme or instrument. For more details, read below.
Registration is available under the specific classes below.
Here are the registration fees for fall 2025:
Full Session - $300.00
Half Session - $150.00
(plus $3.50 online payment processing fee)
Music Academy Offerings
Piano Classes (Academic Year Offerings)
In this class, we will focus on fun and easy beginner elements to get started playing at the piano with pop songs, chording, and student favorites!
- Fridays, 12:00-12:50pm
- Full Session Dates (10-Week): Sept. 5, 12, 19, Oct. 3, 10, 17, 31, Nov. 7, 14, 21 (no classes Sept 26 or Oct 24)
- 1st Session Dates (5-Week): Sept. 5, 12, 19, Oct. 3, 10
Instructor: Natalie Doughty
Email: doughtna@jmu.edu
In this class, we will focus on developing left hand accompaniments and expanding chord playing, incorporating beginner technique, and having fun with musicality using pop songs, student favorites, and lyrical pieces.
- Fridays, 1:00-1:50pm
- Full Session Dates (10-Week): Sept. 5, 12, 19, Oct. 3, 10, 17, 31, Nov. 7, 14, 21 (no classes Sept 26 or Oct 24)
- 1st Session Dates (5-Week): Sept. 5, 12, 19, Oct. 3, 10
Instructor: Natalie Doughty
Email: doughtna@jmu.edu
Mixed level piano class exploring building creative skills at the piano! From improv to chording to exploring making piano learning easier, everyone can benefit from this class!
- Tuesdays, 7:45-8:30pm
- Full Session Dates (10-Week): Sept. 9, 16, 23, 30 Oct. 7, 14, 28, Nov. 4, 11, 18
- 1st Session Dates (5-Week): Sept. 9, 16, 23, 30, Oct. 7
Instructor: Natalie Doughty
Email: doughtna@jmu.edu
Guitar Classes (Academic Year Offerings)
In this class, we will focus on fun and easy beginner elements to get started playing on the guitar with songs from various styles and student favorites!
- Fridays, 11:30am-12:20pm
- Full Session Dates (10-Week): Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17, 31, Nov. 7, 14 (no classes Oct. 24)
- 1st Session Dates (5-Week): Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26, Oct. 3
Instructor: Thaddeus Jackson
Learn how to use the guitar to help your songs come other life! From writing lyrics to finding chords that work to communicate the story to developing an easy musical framework, this class is perfect for people who have always wanted to explore songwriting!
- Fridays, 12:30-1:20pm
- Full Session Dates (10-Week): Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26, Oct. 3, 10, 17, 31, Nov. 7, 14 (no classes Oct 24)
- 1st Session Dates (5-Week): Sept. 5, 12, 19, 26, Oct. 3
Instructor: Thaddeus Jackson
Voice Classes (Academic Year Offerings)
A fun intro to using your voice with pop songs and other student favorites! This class sampler will include the basics of using your voice as well as how to pick songs for your voice type and finding your own sound (versus copying).
- Thursdays, 6:00-6:50pm
- Full Session Dates (10-Week): Sept. 11, 18, 25, Oct. 2, 9, 16, 30, Nov. 6, 13, 20 (no classes Oct 23)
- 1st Session Dates (5-Week): Sept. 11, 18, 25, Oct. 2, 9
Instructor: Georgia Orfanides
Do you love musical theatre and want to learn how to sing pieces from your favorite musical? From learning how to prepare an audition for a community theatre production but don't know where to start when choosing repertoire to acting through the song, this intro to musical theatre will help you develop your own show-stopping number!
- Thursdays, 7:00-7:50pm
- Full Session Dates (10-Week): Sept. 11, 18, 25, Oct. 2, 9, 16, 30, Nov. 6, 13, 20 (no classes Oct 23)
- 1st Session Dates (5-Week): Sept. 11, 18, 25, Oct. 2, 9
Instructor: Georgia Orfanides
Building off of the Beginner Voice Class, this class will include how to sing in ensembles, how to keep developing "your sound," and include pop/musical theatre selections and student requests!
Info: TBA
Music Theory Classes (Academic Year Offerings)
Join us on an exciting journey to explore the DNA of music through the lenses of classical and pop genres! Just as blood cells are essential to our bodies, intervals and scales are fundamental to music, while chords form the very core of its DNA.
Beginner 1 will be the first 5 weeks, Beginner 2 will be the second 5 weeks.
- Mondays, 7:40-8:30pm
- Full Session Dates (10-Week): Sept. 8, 15, 22, 29, Oct. 6, 13, 27, Nov. 3, 10, 17
- 1st Session Dates (5-Week): Sept. 8, 15, 22, 29, Oct. 6
Instructor: Linlin Uta
Email: huang3xx@jmu.edu
Special Offering
Do you love holiday music and holiday music events? Wish you could "jam" or collab with others plyaing holiday music in a social, fun environment? If so, this one-day event is for you! This 2.5 hour event will be split into two parts. In the first half, participants will work with an instructor on their preferred instrument (piano/guitar/voice) to learn some basics and details of certain holiday songs. In the second part, all participants of all instruments will combine for holiday musicking of carols and other holiday favorites! This holiday musicking event is open to people of any level, background, or experience.
Registration Info: TBA
Date: TBA
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Natalie Doughty
Director and Primary Piano Instructor, JMU Music Academy
Thaddeus Jackson
Guitar Instructor, JMU Music Academy
Georgia Orfandies
Voice Instructor, JMU Music Academy
Linlin Uta
Aural Skills Instructor; Music Theory Instructor, JMU Music Academy
