Education United States Project #37823

Give In-School Music Classes to Los Angeles Youth

by Education Through Music-Los Angeles (ETM-LA, Inc.)

Give In-School Music Classes to Los Angeles Youth

Project Report | Feb 14, 2024
New Year, New Transformations

By Victoria Lanier and Xina Yee | Executive Director and Communications Coordinator

Principal's Leadership Conference Warm Up Exercise

With a new year upon us, we take a moment to reflect on how 2024 will build upon last year. What did we learn? What will we keep; what will we change? When we look at the direct impact that Education Through Music-Los Angeles has made on local school communities this past year, we witness a vibrant phase of growth. ETM-LA:

Provided quality weekly, yearlong sequential music education for 18,500 students across 42 under-resourced schools,
Transitioned three (3) music teachers from ETM-LA to full-time public school positions at partner districts,
Grew our internship program over 200%, and
Hosted over 100 hours of professional development for music teachers and the community.

Change Starts Small

Consider a butterfly, which starts out as a tiny egg before moving to its next stage as a caterpillar. In this developmental stage, the caterpillar’s sole role is to eat and grow.

Similarly, a child must have nurturing and optimal conditions in order to mature and reach key milestones and their fullest potential. In the first few years of life, the brain grows to about 80% of adult size and 90% by age 5 (First Things First).

Music plays a critical part of a child’s holistic development. Take music and the arts away from their well-rounded education, and students can quickly fall behind (Laura Jimenez and Scott Sargrad, Center for American Progress, 2018). Research finds that music as part of the core curriculum in school makes a deep impact on students’ motivation for learning, self-confidence, engagement, focus, connection to peers, and other key benefits (Evaluation Specialists, 2021).

Transformation Takes Time

In Los Angeles County, roughly 75% of elementary and middle schools do not have the equivalent of a full-time music teacher (LA Arts Collective). ETM-LA not only provides qualified and dedicated music teachers, curriculum, instruments, and training, we provide strategic guidance for schools and districts on implementing comprehensive, sequential music education programs which meet the needs and vision of each community.

ETM-LA supports school partners in taking actionable steps to transform their STEAM curriculum and music culture; to foster a community that values music as a core subject for all students with professional development for principals and teachers, workshops for parents, and student performances for the community. We help move schools through each stage towards graduating from our model – teaching schools how to “teach music.” The length of time needed to progress from limited (or no) music education to building an established school-wide program varies from school to school, but requires intention, time, care, coordination, and collaborative planning.

Strategizing for Sustainability

Every January, ETM-LA’s commitment to strategic guidance is demonstrated through our Annual Principals Leadership Conference, welcoming school district leaders, principals, parents, & community members from across Southern California. Our conference encourages leaders in education to share, learn, and plan strategic goals to explore music program growth across schools, districts, and communities. Sessions this year included: Assessing Music Teacher Pedagogy, Engaging the Wider Community in Advocacy, Long-Term Planning & Your School Culture, and more. By the end of the conference, attendees were left with an understanding of the impact of music education, transformative leadership, and strategic planning for music program sustainability.

Feedback from participants included: “It was extremely effective to engage us musically right away.” and “I can’t wait to grow our vision to be equitable and inclusive to all students in our small community.”

What Remains Constant

What remains immutable is ETM-LA’s resolve to ensure all children have music as part of their school curriculum. We remain unwavering in our service of transforming how we educate, engage, and inspire. We know this work requires constant nurture, and we are grateful for every person who walks alongside us. Music education for every child is a non-negotiable right.

Together, change and progress are possible.

Breakout Session Discussion

Presentation by Russ Sperling

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Oct 19, 2023
A Force Multiplier for School Success

By Xina Yee | Communications Coordinator

Music Educators at 2023 Summer Training

We believe that every child deserves a well-rounded education that includes music as part of the core curriculum. Our mission at Education Through Music-LA (ETM-LA) is to provide and promote music education in systemically marginalized schools across Los Angeles County in order to nurture students’ academic, social-emotional, and overall development.

ETM-LA is a force multiplier for school success through music.

The benefits of music as a core part of a child’s education can be life-changing. Kids who are involved with the arts have higher grades and are less likely to drop out of school (Ruppert, 2009), and music education has been linked to improved reading and mathematical skills as well as increased creativity, social skills, and self-confidence. Our work these past 18 years continues to champion systemic change, and there is now broader support like the recent passage of Prop 28 — which dedicates approximately $1 billion for music and arts education in K-12 public schools in California (passed with the largest margin of victory ever for an education initiative in CA).

Despite this good news, there remains a lack of human capital and resources (beyond funding), and fragmentation of music and arts programming across school districts. The length of time needed to progress from having no (or limited) music education to an established school-wide, sustained program for all students varies from school to school and requires care, coordination, and collaborative planning among school and community members. We work with schools/districts to assess their current state of arts programming and to help articulate their long-term vision. Prioritizing equity and access for TK-8 students in under-resourced communities, ETM-LA is uniquely comprehensive in its scope and objectives, supporting schools from inception to graduation and beyond.

Advisory Board Member Ed Helms (The Office) says, “Music has impact. And ETM-LA is a force-multiplier for that impact. The gap in education opportunities in different communities is one of the great social injustices, and Education Through Music-LA plugs right into that in a very smart and critical way. [They] put teachers back in the schools, provide a curriculum, [and] provide resources.”

Establishing a quality music program means identifying shared resources and working with principals to foster a community that values music as a core subject, such as through professional development for principals and teachers, workshops for parents, and student performances for the community. Over time, schools increase their ownership, financial commitment, and oversight of the music program. The end goal? Self-sustainability — seeing schools hire on the music teacher to their faculty and music/arts integrated into the community.

ETM-LA is proud to report that this Summer 2023, three (3) partner schools in Compton graduated from our program: Foster Elementary, Kennedy Elementary, and McKinley K-8 Integrated Arts School. While we have had partner schools successfully hire their ETM-LA music teacher, the ongoing nationwide shortage of educators has added challenges to our model’s approach to sustainability. To strengthen the field of future music teachers, ETM-LA has developed a workforce development and pathways program: Music Teacher Internship Program. This provides career pathways for high school and community college students, most especially those who may not typically have opportunities to enter the teaching field.

Our focus on systemic change — teaching schools how to “teach music” — is a win-win strategy. By building for the long-term, we can ensure every child receives quality music education and hope for a brighter future.

Music Educators Breakout Discussion

ASTA Strings & Band Educators Workshop

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Jun 28, 2023
How Student Nathan Gained Confidence Through Music

By Xina Yee | Communications Coordinator

Nathan Loves Electric Guitar

When you feel confident, it can mean feeling secure in meeting everyday challenges. Confidence helps boost your mindset into thinking "I can" instead of "I can't." Furthermore, it enables you to move forward in discovering and developing your capabilities.

ETM-LA Partner School Student Nathan shares, “Music has changed my life by helping me be more confident and more focused on schoolwork. Whenever I'm really stressed out or about to cry, I put on some good and relaxing music to just calm myself down.” His mom, Anna, went on to disclose, “Unfortunately, he did have some bullying as he was growing up, but music has definitely given him that boost; that confidence; that ‘I can do whatever I put myself to and if I want to, I can do it.’”

Building confidence at a young age is critical in helping a child try again when making mistakes. It supports being open to new challenges and nurturing a child in reaching their fullest potential. Learning music creates a safe environment and helps to level the playing field for students.

Anna proudly recalls that “[Nathan] started as a drummer, and then it kind of just escalated to playing guitar, piano, and violin. Music changed his whole life.”

“My favorite instrument to play is the electric guitar because you can play your favorite songs, and then you can learn how to play specific riffs and specific solos.” - Nathan, Student

After two years of comprehensive music learning in school, our external impact study showed that 95% of teachers reported that their students demonstrated an increase in self-confidence, and 92% of teachers reported that their students were engaged in learning more often. As a parent of a music student, Anna observes , “It brings so much joy to them. It's something that they won't notice now, but when they're older, in the future, they're going to be like, ‘I am so glad that I had a music class.’”

Your support helped ETM-LA achieve milestones in the 2022-23 school year, including:

Three ETM-LA partner schools received the 2022 CA Exemplary Arts Education Award, including McKinley Elementary & Providencia Elementary (Burbank Unified School District), and Washington Elementary (Compton Unified School District)
ETM-LA’s 13th Annual Music Unites the World Festival united over 400 choir, strings, and band students to learn from local expert coaches and celebrity artists in workshops and perform in culminating concerts for family, friends, and fellow ETM-LA partner school students.
ETM-LA and Francis Lansang, Volunteer Coordinator, received the 2022 Halo Award (The Carl & Roberta Deutsch Foundation)
Nurtured future teachers and leaders by doubling the capacity of our Music Teacher Internship Program.

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