Peabody Preparatory will open new campus in Frederick in September

BY CRYSTAL SCHELLE Special to The News-Post

Those passing by the Y Arts Center on East Church Street in Frederick might start noticing aspiring musicians walking the street, carrying their instruments into classes this fall.

The Peabody Preparatory has entered into a partnership with the YMCA of Frederick County to occupy the basement floor of the Y Arts Center to expand its musical offerings into Frederick beginning in September. Falling under the umbrella of the Johns Hopkins Peabody Institute, the Peabody Preparatory has brought campuses to areas throughout the state, including Annapolis, Baltimore and Towson. Frederick will be the most western location in the state.

The idea of bringing the campus to Frederick has been years in the making. Maria Mathieson, executive director of the Peabody Preparatory, said the idea came from Frederickbased music teacher Phyllis Freeman who had worked with her. Mathieson said it was Freeman who suggested bringing a campus to Frederick, and it was through Freeman that they started talking to the YMCA.

By 2019, the YMCA had just taken over the 20,000-square-foot building at East Church Street that would become the Y Arts Center. By the beginning of 2020, the Y had already started renovating the building, but in March 2020, the pandemic shut down the process. In a way, the shutdown became a blessing. Mathieson said the pandemic allowed everything to fall into place.

“The timing just sort of worked out that they were looking for a music partner, and we were looking to potentially bring the Preparatory from the Baltimore side to the western side of the state,” she said. “It just seemed like a perfect opportunity. It’s a phenomenal space … and I just think it’s a really good fit. The fact that this is an arts hub in downtown Frederick, it just makes perfect sense for us to be part of that community.”

Chris Colville, CEO and president at the YMCA of Frederick County, said having the Peabody Preparatory in the Y Arts Center adds to the Y’s mission.

“The Y has always had a very vibrant kind of arts and humanities department,” she said. “Over the last couple of years, being blessed with having a kind of a standalone facility in downtown Frederick, we’ve really been able to showcase that and get people to think outside the box of what they think about the Y, which is usually childcare and swimming.

“The reason the Peabody partnership and collaboration is really a win-win for everybody — for them, for the Y and for the community — is because we’re not experts in everything,” Colville went on. “We can be good at some things, but we can’t be great at everything. What Peabody brings to the table is this very specialized level of teaching that the Y just doesn’t have the capacity to do.”

The Y, rather, is good at feedertype programs, such as music for preschoolers, and they now have a recording studio, but Peabody fills in the gaps that are not in the Y’s wheelhouse, such as offering lessons for those who want to be accomplished musicians.

“The Peabody is the best group to come in and do that piece of the puzzle because we’re just not good at it,” Colville said.

The space Peabody Preparatory is taking over previously housed the Head Start program. The Y and Peabody have entered into a facilityuse agreement for a year, which will allow the musical organization to see if it can establish itself in Frederick.

“The little basement space that we’re occupying has five small, perfect studio-size classroom spaces for private construction,” Mathieson said.

Additionally, an office/workspace and a family waiting area have been added.