Who Are We?
We’re Arpeggia, a Champaign-Urbana based non-profit 501(c)(3) and Registered Student Organization (RSO) at The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Our mission is to make music education accessible to children in the Champaign-Urbana community by connecting at-need students with experienced college musicians. This is done through one-on-one lessons, group classes, and mentorship. Our volunteer music instructors serve as positive role models while providing high-quality, affordable music education to children interested in starting their musical journey.
How We Got Started
We got our start after winning 54: Startup Weekend hosted by Founders in 2021. Since then, we’ve been pushing to expand our efforts through the entire Champaign-Urbana community.
Our team of over 10 volunteers currently teach at Urbana Middle School and soon, other schools throughout the community. Our student volunteers come from a variety of degree programs and are able to teach an assortment of exciting instruments such as saxophone, guitar, piano, and trumpet. We’re proud to have a dedicated team of diverse talents and backgrounds that are able to address the needs of our students!
Frequently Asked Questions
What do we offer?
Music lessons are often expensive, ranging from $30-$60/hour. This, paired with finding a trustworthy instructor and transportation to-and-from lessons, can make the entire experience surrounding music lessons stressful for parents and children alike. On top of that, billing and scheduling are another inconvenience.
Our classes are conveniently held after school, during Urbana Middle School’s SPLASH program. This way, reliable scheduling and transportation are already set up through UMS and students are in a comfortable and safe environment – not someone’s garage-turned-music studio.
Additionally, our diverse group of volunteers give students the opportunity to control their own learning experience. If a student learning guitar would rather spend a lesson learning how to start on trumpet, we’re willing to switch gears and get them started. If a saxophone player is interested in trying out a group piano class, we can make it happen.
Are there membership fees or dues?
No! There’s no cost involved for UIUC students or the students receiving lessons.
I'm a school/parent. How can I get lessons for my child(ren)?
Contact us at ArpeggiaUIUC@gmail.com and we’d be more than happy to discuss mentorship opportunities with you!
I want to mentor, but I don't know if I'm good enough as a musician.
There are plenty of mentors who aren’t music majors, we have room for anyone. Contact us, and we’ll have a member talk to you about mentor expectations and responsibilities.