Support Silverlake’s Musical Scholars

Silverlake Conservatory of Music (SCM) was founded in 2001 by Flea (real name Michael Peter Balzary) of the Red Hot Chili Peppers, who first became interested in music through his stepfather, a jazz bass player in New York City. Flea’s lifelong passion for playing music blossomed in the 1970s, through the music program at Fairfax High School.

But Flea’s dedication to music didn’t end with rock stardom. He was determined to create a nonprofit music conservatory in Los Angeles that would provide access to music study for any child with interest, whether they had the means or not. In 2001, motivated by severe cutbacks to arts education programming in L.A. public schools, including Flea’s alma mater, he and longtime friend and fellow musician Keith “Tree” Barry founded SCM.

The school offers private one-on-one music lessons on all orchestral and band instruments as well as voice, as well as an array of specialized ensemble classes. Over time, the school grew to serve as many as 1,200 students per week with a robust choir program and its famous Live Wire band program, which develops group live performance skills. 

SCM first opened its doors with a location at Sunset Junction, where the school’s founders recruited its first young musicians by distributing flyers at a local arts festival. Thanks to personal and corporate contributions, musical instrument donation and in-house fundraising activities, it boasts a proven track record of developing talented young artists, thus ensuring a lasting commitment to the enrichment to L.A.’s broader cultural community.

In October 2016, the Silverlake Conservatory moved to what Executive Director Jennifer Rey calls its “forever home” at 4652 Hollywood Blvd, a 1930s brick building featuring well-appointed art lesson studios, a recital space, and retail store all beautifully redesigned by Barbara Bestor. Now celebrating its 20th anniversary, the school’s student body spans L.A.’s socioeconomic demography. It also offers scholarships to qualifying young musicians, providing free lessons, classes, and instruments for each student.

“Most of our students on scholarship are from low-income families who qualify for free lunch programs,” Rey says. “Our goal is to keep 250 students on full scholarship. We fully subsidize their instruments and supplies, and they have access to all ensemble practices and summer programs. There is no division. It’s just a community of people who value lessons and practice and all the things that come along with the study of music.”

Flea says that the school depends on its annual fundraising efforts and the generosity of donors to do its work. “We are an important element of the community,” he says. “I promise you with all my heart, we will continue to teach music like our lives depend on it. We live for it.”