About AMP
Play with a band. Grow with a band.
The Academy of Musical Performance is a contemporary music education program whose goal is to enrich the lives of young musicians living in the Coachella Valley by fostering productivity and social responsibility through creativity, communication and collaboration in the development and enhancement of musical performance and concert production skills through participation in a "rock band" style educational setting.
AMP offers multiple forward-thinking music programs to students between ages 8—18 to engage young people in music making. AMP's Rock Band programs teach youth how to play in a band and facilitates performances throughout the community, keeping kids engaged in positive community-based activities. AMP's Private Lesson program offers affordable and accessible lessons for beginners-to-advanced musicians. preAMP offers group lessons on ukulele to children, and our Instrument Loan program allows anyone to affordably explore an instrument.
AMP is known for its outstanding summer program, AMP Summer Camp, featuring the Valley's top musicians teaching, in small rock band format, Coachella Valley's young musicians in their performance and concert production skills through rehearsals, workshops, individual instruction, and live performances. AMP quickly expanded our programming to offer AMP Fall and Spring, continuing the rock band education and experience throughout the school year, along with building other programs such as preAMP and AMP’s Instrument Zoo.
AMP Summer, Spring, and Fall is open to students between ages 11—18 from the desert communities of Palm Springs, Cathedral City, Desert Hot Springs, Rancho Mirage, Palm Desert, Indian Wells, La Quinta, Bermuda Dunes, Indio, Coachella, and Thermal.
Why & how was AMP created?
In 2015, AMP was an idea by Coachella Valley Community Trust (CVCT) board member, Roman Whittaker, who noticed our schools were lacking music instruction. He pitched it to Goldenvoice who had been supporting the youth of the valley with CVCT. Goldenvoice committed to three years of seed funding to launch the program.
After the inaugural AMP Summer Camp in 2015, opportunities to expand AMP’s educational programming began pouring in with community support and family demand. Since 2015, AMP has created eight unique programs and curriculums to offer new opportunities for local children and families and helped to foster a respectful and responsible community of musical youth in the Coachella Valley. The effects of AMP’s visionary programming are coming to fruition as AMP students have been accepted with full and partial scholarships to the nation’s top music universities, while others have kept their talents in the community, creating open and accepting music scenes for their extended networks.
AMP accepts:
Vocalists
Guitarists
Bass Guitarists
Keyboardists
Drummers
Percussion Players
Electronic Music Producers
Orchestral Instruments (on a case-by-case basis)
AMP's Mission Statement
The Academy of Musical Performance is a contemporary music education program whose goal is to enrich the lives of young musicians living in the Coachella Valley by fostering productivity and social responsibility through creativity, communication and collaboration in the development and enhancement of musical performance and concert production skills through participation in a "rock band" style educational setting.
board of directors
The AMP Board of Directors was established in late 2017 when AMP became it's own non-profit 501 c(3) organization. All are long-time members of the Coachella Valley community and are inspired to develop quality music education and entertainment for young Coachella Valley musicians.
- Co-Founder & Chairman- Roman Whittaker
- Co-Founder & Board Member - Kate Spates
- President - Daniel Duardo
- Vice President - Greg Vincent
- Secretary - Stephanie Greene
- Treasurer - Ben Vasquez
- Executive Administrator - Michele Penn
- Board Member - Bruce Feagle
- Board Member - Wendy Hope-Heckmann
Rob Peterson
Program & Operations Director
Rob Peterson is a multifaceted percussionist and musician with over 30 years of performance experience. His academic credentials include: Bachelor’s Degree in Classical Percussion, Bachelor’s Degree in Composition, and a Master’s Degree in World Percussion and Composition, along with an active involvement in directed studies pertaining to the disciplines of West African, Afro -Cuban, and Afro - Brazilian percussion.
Staff & Instructors
Abie Perkins
Program Lead/Band Coach/Instructor
Abie Perkins has been in the entertainment world for over 40 years, performing all over the world either as a smooth vocalist, pianist, or hypnotic saxophonist! With an Entertainment Philosophy degree from Ball State University, his love and passion for the arts always rings true when he performs!nships and developed viable high-quality solutions,” stated Penn.
Courtney Chambers
Program Lead/Band Coach/Instructor
Courtney Chambers has been writing music from the age of 11. With the support of her father, she took piano and guitar lessons to accompany her first instrument, her voice. She received her formal training at Fullerton College where her major was Vocal Performance and in 2001 established her label, Royal Daughter Records where she released 5 albums.
Being a seasoned performer, she had joined the ranks of Dog N Butterfly (The Ultimate Tribute to Heart) where she performed as the incomparable Nancy Wilson (2010-2016). She has also been a guitarist for other artists including Gabe Lopez and Belinda Carlisle.
Chambers has been a Music Educator since 2003, teaching Songwriting, Voice, Guitar and Piano. Teaching is a staple in her life’s work and finds the importance of teaching future generations the passion and importance of music in our world.
In 2018, she joined AMP as a band coach where she could stretch out her abilities as a veteran music performance artist to train young performers.
Courtney Chambers considers herself a lifelong student and continues to further her musical education.