Music Academy’s Compeer Program Builds Memories and Melodies in Montecito

Music Academy’s
Compeer Program
Builds Memories and Melodies in Montecito

Keeping the Beat, with Heart:
Supportive Program Brings Much More
than Music to the Community

By Andrea Weir Estrada | July 27, 2023

Read about Compeer program members Dennis Thompson, Lois Phillips
and Music Academy fellow Sarah Bobrow here.

Trumpet player Paul Armitage had never visited Santa Barbara before attending the Music Academy’s 2023 Summer Festival. Likewise, he’d never met Heather or Sese Ntem or their children, Noah and Madison. Even so, rather than finding himself isolated and on his own in an unfamiliar city, Armitage was welcomed as an honorary member of the Ntem family, and they have experienced the festival together.

This is all courtesy of the Music Academy’s Compeer Program, an initiative that matches academy fellows, like Armitage, with local families and individuals who serve as cheerleaders, tour guides, and a ready-made support system.

“This program has become the heartbeat of the Music Academy community and sets this festival apart from any other in terms of audience engagement,” said Academy Dean Tiffany DeVries. “This program is all about relationships, community, and connections. Here at the Music Academy, world-class music thrives alongside genuine friendships because of the Compeer Program.”