Free music school launching in Boulder, led by Bluebird Music Festival founder

A new music school offering free instruction to children is set to launch in Boulder this fall — the first local program of its kind aimed at supporting families navigating the city’s high cost of living.

The Bluebird School, founded by Bluebird Music Festival creator Travis Albright, will provide a two-semester music program for children of teachers, first responders and mental health workers. Albright hopes to eventually expand the program to include more students.

“We want to help them out because they help out the community so much,” said Albright, a 20-year Boulder County resident.

The curriculum will include songwriting, live performance and music recording. Classes are scheduled to begin in October at Broadway Music Studios, a music incubator space at 2401 Broadway. Instruction will be led by Evan Reeves, a University of Denver music professor and studio engineer.

Enrollment capacity is still being determined and will depend on fundraising. Albright’s organization is currently covering the studio lease out of pocket, but he hopes to eventually purchase a dedicated space. A recent online benefit featuring donated items from the Lumineers, Phish and others raised $15,000. A fundraising gala at CU Boulder’s Macky Auditorium drew about 2,000 attendees.

The idea for the school stemmed from Albright’s time in CU Boulder’s graduate education program, where he met teachers who were paying for supplies out of pocket. Inspired, he launched the Future Arts Foundation in 2014 to provide musical instruments and art supplies for kids.

What began as a small nonprofit has grown significantly. The foundation now partners with major instrument makers like Yamaha and Gibson, accepts donated instruments from community members, and distributes hundreds each year — primarily to children of teachers, first responders and mental health professionals. After the Marshall Fire, the foundation provided 600 instruments to people who lost their homes.

In 2018, Albright launched the Bluebird Music Festival to raise funds and awareness for the foundation. The festival has grown quickly, drawing thousands of attendees and national acts such as Watchhouse, Bruce Hornsby and Isaac Slade, formerly of The Fray.

Albright sees the Bluebird School as a natural next step — and a chance to help cultivate a new generation of performers.

“My vision is to bring it full circle,” he said, “and have these kiddos not only become great songwriters on their own but to be able to perform as a band — and then one day perform on stage at the Bluebird Music Festival.”

Albright also plans to document students’ progress throughout the year and share their journey on the festival’s YouTube channel.

Applications for the Bluebird School are expected to open this summer.