About Us

The East Metro Community Music Association is an arts nonprofit serving the Gresham and East Portland areas.

EMCMA fields a marching band, color guard, drumline, and concert band that are open to everyone 14 and up. As we continue to grow and make new connections, we hope to add more ensembles and provide skilled volunteer support to school music programs.

Mission

Our mission is to elevate artists of all ages and abilities by promoting personal growth, social development, and community engagement through musical performance and education.

Vision

Our vision is to support performing groups of all musical genres; to foster a love of music and sustain thriving musical traditions in our local communities; and to encourage volunteering and mentorship in support of music education.

Values

Our core values of Inclusion, Fun, and Learning reflect the role we hope to have in our community.

Inclusion: Music is for everyone. We will strive to make our programming accessible to everyone in our community.

Fun: Making and performing to music can be hard work, but above all, they should be joyful activities. We will promote a culture of recreation in all of our groups.

Learning: No one is too young or too old to learn. EMCMA will provide opportunities for people of all ages to develop their artistic skills.

History

Our founding board is made up of Centennial High School alumni who reconnected at a school marching band reunion in 2023 and became motivated to address the relative lack of community musical opportunities in East Multnomah County.

We’re still setting up things here, but we’ll be happy to answer any questions you might have about us at info@eastmetrocommunitymusic.org