About Sherwood

The Institution
Our Founder, William Hall Sherwood
Location
History
Faculty
Scholarships and Financial Aid
Community Engagement
Administration
Board of Advisors
Affiliations

The Institution   

Sherwood Conservatory of Music is an urban center for comprehensive community music education.  A member of the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts, the Conservatory trains gifted young musicians who anticipate careers in music, beginning and amateur musicians of all ages, preschool children and parents, and professional musicians and music educators seeking continuing education.

The current student body - an exciting mix of cultures and socio-economic levels, ranging in age from infants to senior citizens - is comprised of people from nearly every neighborhood in Chicago, the surrounding suburbs, and Northwest Indiana; 72% are under the age of 18 and 28% are adults. Students of African, Asian and Latino descent make up 56% of the full student body. No student at Sherwood pays the full cost of instruction, and approximately 16% of Sherwood students receive additional support in the form of need-based financial aid or merit-based scholarships.

William Hall Sherwood founded the Sherwood Music School in 1895. A protégé of the great Franz Liszt, Sherwood (1854-1911) was the nation's most celebrated pianist and teacher at the turn of the Twentieth Century. He believed that every American child deserved a music education, and was the first to publicly advocate for scholarship support of music students. He took music to the people performing in towns throughout the western frontier.  One of his great legacies was the Sherwood Piano Course, the first standardized text for teaching and learning piano.

The Conservatory is located two blocks south of Roosevelt Road at 1312 South Michigan Avenue in the historic South Loop neighborhood, adjacent to Grant Park and Chicago's Museum Campus (Field Museum, Adler Planetarium, and Shedd Aquarium). 

From the 1920's, the school had been an institution of higher education, offering professional degrees in music. In 1986, challenged by the scarcity of quality music education opportunities for Chicago citizens, especially for children and youth, the school implemented a dynamic change of mission. The collegiate programs were phased-out and Sherwood Conservatory emerged as a community-focused institution, committed to meeting the diverse music education needs of Chicago's urban population. Recognizing the compatibility of missions and desire to serve the culturally rich and diverse Chicago community, Sherwood merged with Columbia College Chicago in July 2007.

Instruction with an outstanding teacher is the hallmark of all Conservatory programs. National and international award winners, regionally known performers and musicians with exceptional teaching reputations are represented on the 60-member Sherwood faculty. Several hold doctoral degrees and 80% of the faculty hold masters degrees in their teaching area.

Sherwood students 18 years of age and younger are eligible to receive Tuition Support in the form of scholarships and tuition assistance programs. These programs aim to reward exceptionally talented students, as well as ensure accessibility to students who would otherwise be denied opportunities for a quality music education.

The Conservatory maintains a strong commitment to community service and engagement. It reaches over 900 off-site students in Chicago area schools, community centers, social service agencies, and through its satellite location at the South Shore Cultural Center.  Sherwood operates tuition-free programs in a number of Chicago Public School sites, including Granville T. Woods Math and Science Academy in Englewood and Benito Juarez Community Academy in Pilsen, and partners with the Lyric Opera of Chicago to provide instruction in Lyric's "Opera Kids!" program to students throughout the CPS system. 

Sherwood is managed by an executive director and an administrative staff organized into five operating departments: Programs, Registrar, Facilities, Finance, and Communications.

A volunteer Board of Advisors supports the institution through its three standing committees, on which non-board volunteers also participate: Program Development, Resource Development, and Board Development.

Sherwood Conservatory of Music is a not-for-profit organization certified by the National Guild of Community Schools of the Arts. Other institutional affiliations include:

American Music Conference

American Orff-Schulwerk Association

Arts and Business Council of Chicago

Chicago Association for the Education of Young Children

Chicago Dance and Music Alliance

Chicago Coalition for Arts In Education

Chicago Consortium of Community Music Schools

Illinois Alliance for Arts Education

Illinois Arts Alliance

Near South Planning Board

South Michigan Avenue Merchants' Association

Suzuki Association of the Americas