This paper considers the important role the tertiary music institution has as an arts organisation within its community. It will focus primarily on the role of the professional musician, employed at the tertiary music institution, and the artistic contribution they make to amateur music organisations. Community music can bring enormous pleasure for those who make and hear it, yet its purpose in relation to the arts industry is unclear. Therefore these arts organisations often fall outside of government funding guidelines and appear as 'second cousin' to other arts activities that appear under the 'community' umbrella. Many community organisations can benefit from carefully targeted help and support beyond the obvious provision of grants and funding. This shortfall of formal government support can be provided through collaborations with tertiary music institutions. This paper considers a case study of one such collaboration and the way this has produced ongoing benefits for both the tertiary institution and the community music organisation. These benefits have continued to multiply for both partners providing the community at large with greater opportunities to enjoy arts events either as participants or observers.