Program Health

Cle Elum, Washington, is a small town with a population of about 2,000 and a school district serving approximately 900 students in K-12 — but that doesn’t stop the power of music flowing through it.

Funding can be a major obstacle to growing a music program. For the past five years, Nick Maupoux, band and choir director for Cle Elum-Roslyn School District, has overcome this hurdle through grant writing and using the following strategies.

Updated 4/3/2020 at 3:07 p.m. PST. During this trying and uncertain time, we want to do our part to help music educators as you explore options and search for resources to facilitate online teaching.

With the passage in December 2015 of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), also known as the Elementary and Secondary Education Act, music was named as one of the subjects that provide students with a "well-rounded education."

"Music for all, and all for music" is a goal that all music educators strive for, but unfortunately, access to music in schools isn't a guarantee.

When working with Paige's Music in Indianapolis, Indiana, local band directors give the game "red light, green light" a new twist. Tim Dawson, director of school sales at Paige's, works with band directors to put together presentations about instrument inventory based on red, yellow and green traffic lights.

When busloads of middle school students with the Mater Dei Music Academy pull up to Disneyland or Knott's Berry Farm, motivated young musicians disembark, ready to perform and have fun. After their concert, they enjoy the rides at these Orange County, California, theme parks.

In Case Study: Private School Outreach, we learned about the Mater Dei Music Academy. The middle school students in the program join the Mater Dei High School band — a close-knit group of about 50 — for several performances throughout the year. To form a cohesive unit among students from a variety of schools and ages, Taylor Smith — director of the Music Academy and associate band director at Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California — created a mentorship program.

Dr. Emily Threinen, director of bands and associate professor of music at the University of Minnesota, talked about her teaching philosophy in the blog post, Emily Threinen: Music's North Star. Here, she focuses on how music educators have an opportunity to strive for inclusive musical experiences and repertoire for students and audiences. "Our music selections highlight our values. Making decisions on programming is incredibly personal, complicated, sometimes controversial and critical," she says.

You have grand plans for your music program, but money is tight. In 2015, music educators celebrated the passing of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA), which calls for a "well-rounded education" that includes music and the arts. But it's been almost five years since ESSA was signed into law, and your program is working to stretch every dollar.