At a time when public schools are increasingly moving away from providing musical instruction as a staple of their curriculums, Greater Newburyport has come to depend on people like Nancy Assad and her band of musician teachers to round out the education of their youngsters.

From within the studios of The Musical Suite in Newburyport's Tannery Mall, a generation of local kids has received training in trumpet, strings, piano, voice and violin as their schools were eliminating music programs from their budgets.

For 20 years, Assad has been filling the old, refurbished Tannery mill space with the strains of emergent melodies. And even in an economic downturn, it's become clear that her work educating students is as relevant as ever.

"I truly believe when musical programs are cut at the school, parents don't want that cut out of their children's lives, or out of their lives," she said.

On any given afternoon, The Musical Suite's five studios are filled with students. That's heartening for Assad, a concert violinist who is passionate about the role music plays in society. And it's a sweet validation that the gamble she took 20 years ago that Newburyport would support a business offering quality music instruction was a good bet.

"I started with four of my own students," said Assad of her modest beginnings teaching violin in a single-room office suite in The Tannery. "It was one little room with one piano and one office upstairs."

Assad was one of a handful of tenants to arrive at developer David Hall's newly renovated Tannery complex — part of an arts community that included Jabberwocky Bookshop, The Dance Place, The Artists Playground and The Actors Studio. Within no time, she said The Musical Suite outgrew its space and relocated to expanded quarters within the building.

"I would say within the first week, I realized we needed more space," Assad said. "Within several months of opening, I had five other teachers teaching music — woodwind, piano, voice, violin and guitar. It went from my own four students to 60 students right away. It was a great start."

From the beginning, the school attracted talented musicians from Assad's circle of friends, including instructors from Berkeley School of Music and the Boston music scene.

"The success of the school over the last 20 years has been primarily due to the exceptionally devoted and talented faculty," said Assad, who credited professional musicians like saxophonist Danny Harrington, jazz pianist Vardan Ovsepian, guitarist Joe Holaday and xylophonist Sylvie Zakarian for helping create a loyal following of students from children to adults.

Approximately 350 students ranging in age from 3 to 90-plus are currently enrolled in music classes from harp to flute to classical guitar to trumpet.

"We have 4-year-olds taking piano and we have a 91-year-old taking piano," said Judy Mouradian, who serves as manager and company liaison for The Musical Suite. "We just got a new guitar student and he's 80."

The Musical Suite's influence has extended beyond The Tannery into the broader arts community within Newburyport as well. Assad serves on the board of directors of the Society for the Development of Arts and Humanities, which oversees operation of Newburyport's Firehouse Center for the Arts, and many members of her teaching staff as well as her students have performed in its theater. Her instructors have also lent their talents to numerous benefit concerts in the community over the years.

On Sunday, The Musical Suite's former instructors and students will join the current staff and their pupils for a 20th anniversary open house. The event will feature impromptu musical numbers and an opportunity for students to mingle and meet as they celebrate 20 years of bringing music to the community.

"We invited every student, and everyone in the Tannery," Assad said. "We're going to have several students play — it will be like an open mike."

IF YOU GO

What: The Musical Suite of Newburyport's 20th anniversary celebration

When: Sunday, 3 to 5:30 p.m.

Where: The Tannery Mall, 50 Water St., Newburyport

How: Free. Call 978-462-8225 or visit www.themusicalsuite.com.