Our Story

In 2022 Neil McDonald, current music director at the Community Presbyterian Church of Ringwood, was discouraged with the lack of musical arts training being offered to youth in the local community. To fill this void, he came up with an idea to offer music programs to the community at large, entirely free of charge. Neil came up with the program outline of offering 4 classes to start, set up a budget, and then went before the Session of the Church to see if they would fund and host this community program.

Overwhelmingly, the church stepped up to fund, host, and support this new community program. Skylands Music Academy (SMA) was created. Neil teamed up with Erin Schwab, the church's soprano soloist and section leader since 2010, to help run the program. Together they structured SMA to offer 4 tuition-free ensembles for local children and youth in grades 1–8, with a special focus on vocal and ringing choirs. As of Fall 2025, SMA has expanded by offering the Skylands Chorale for experienced singers ages 18+.

The Community Presbyterian Church is a community-oriented church that serves Ringwood, NJ and the greater surrounding area. Aside from supporting a local, national, and international mission, it has also always been a strong supporter of the arts. The church maintains a robust music ministry of its own which boasts an adult choir, adult handbell choir, and children's music. It also allows, at no charge, local organizations such as The Ringwood Friends of Music and Iron Mountain Stage Company to use their space to offer concerts, shows, and programs to the community. Through the Skylands Music Academy, the church hopes to further extend their commitment to spreading the joy of music, barrier-free!