The Community Music School and Webster University: A Partnership Built on Shared History

Alice Gerdine with Harrist Armstong in the 1980s

The Community Music School (CMS) and Webster University share a unique and enduring connection that has helped create a thriving partnership in the St. Louis arts community. This relationship began long before their official union in 2001, tracing back to the early leadership and vision of Alice Strauch Meyer and Leigh Gerdine.

Meyer, a celebrated singer and influential figure in St. Louis arts, served as CMS board president during the 1930s, working alongside Edna Leiber to foster a robust music education program in the city. Decades later, Meyer married Leigh Gerdine, PhD, an esteemed musician and educator who would go on to lead Webster University as its president in the 1970s.

Gerdine's impact at Webster was transformative; during his tenure, enrollment grew nearly tenfold, and he championed the arts, eventually lending his name to the University's College of Fine Arts. This shared passion for music and education between CMS and Webster laid a strong foundation for collaboration. When Webster’s president Richard Meyers sought to enhance the University’s music program in the early 2000s, CMS was a natural fit. In 2001, Webster officially acquired CMS from the St. Louis Symphony, establishing it as part of the Leigh Gerdine College of Fine Arts.

Following the acquisition, Webster University sold CMS’s original building to Washington University and used the proceeds to construct a new CMS Center on the Webster Groves campus. This state-of-the-art facility became a shared space where both Webster students and CMS learners could flourish. Today, University music classes take place in the CMS Center during the mornings and early afternoons, while CMS lessons and rehearsals are held in the afternoons and evenings. This seamless integration has allowed CMS and Webster University to grow together, combining resources and expertise to enrich the lives of students of all ages and backgrounds.

The CMS-Webster partnership demonstrates how shared history, a dedication to music education and a vision for the arts can unite two organizations to inspire and empower the next generation of musicians.

Research by Linda Chickos; Draft by China Thomas