Rocky Ridge Contributions

We appreciate and depend upon the generosity of our alumni, parents, friends and others who believe in Rocky Ridge and want to make sure we can continue our mission in the future.

For sixty six years, Rocky Ridge Music Center has embodied excellence in music education, offered in a setting of unparalleled natural beauty. From the first small group of piano students who traveled to the Rocky Mountains of Colorado with Beth Miller Harrod in 1942 to the nearly 275 students who practiced and performed at our historic Colorado mountain location in 2007, Rocky Ridge has maintained a reputation for an uncompromising commitment to excellence best expressed in our mission statement:

Rocky Ridge nurtures the creative, musical and personal development of youth in an inspirational setting.

Our unwavering belief that musical excellence can be nurtured in a non - competitive and supportive environment continues today.

Rocky Ridge students tell our story best:

“in these five weeks I have taken such a big step forward, learning how to practice and perform better. It is one of the best experiences I have ever had in my life."

”Rocky Ridge is unique in the opportunities it presents to students”

“Rocky Ridge is a very supportive community and the most beautiful place I've ever been”

Parents agree:

“My daughter’s teacher provided her with excellent instruction…He provided guidance and insights into the music she had brought with her, helped her explore new vistas in music and he helped her attain a higher standard in her playing.”

We are fortunate to own a beautiful seventeen acre National Historic site at the base of 14,256 foot Longs Peak in Colorado. Our 1907 lodge and concert hall are architectural gems, described by University of Houston professor James Pickering as the finest remaining example of turn of the century lodge architecture in the Tahosa Valley of Colorado. Our commitment to preserving our historic buildings, delivering music programs of excellence and living gently with our natural environment are costly. Tuition could never meet those costs, and we believe that our education should be available to students of all income backgrounds.

The Rocky Ridge experience is typified in the diversity of our students who come from many different states and several foreign countries every year. They may live in a city, suburb or rural area.  All YAS students, scholarship or paying, participate in our camp work experience as well as the music and recreational opportunities. Rocky Ridge is truly unique and the experience has long term benefits that our alumni acknowledge.


“I owe Rocky Ridge a huge debt of gratitude. It set the course of my life.”    -- Robert Walter,Jr. principal oboe, Metropolitan Opera, NY