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 part of 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. 

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. 

In Case Study: Private School Outreach, we learned about the Mater Dei Music Academy. 

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. 

You have grand plans for your 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. 

Socialization is typically a by­product of a music program. However, in one music class at Parkway Central Middle School in Chesterfield, Missouri, socialization is the goal. 

In Case Study: Peers Support Peers at a United Sound Chapter in Missouri, we looked at how Parkway Central Middle School's band members embraced being peer mentors to special-needs students through United Sound. 

You can feel the enthusiasm and hear the reverberating sound of music and movement. Every summer, 75 high school students in Fort Worth, Texas, hone their percussion skills. 

Responsible financial planning by the booster club is critical to the short-term and long-term success of your music program.

"It's sad that music has been cut from our public schools" is a sentiment that, unfortunately, is heard all too often these days. But I'm happy to report that the winds are changing. 

In 2016, the wind ensemble at Ravenwood High School in Brentwood, Tennessee, performed on the main stage at the Music for All National Concert Band Festival. 

As music teachers, we often focus on the aspects of program development that we can directly control — what and how we teach. 

UPDATE JANUARY 28, 2021: We are excited to announce that David Cutler, Serona Elton, Donny Gruendler, Jeffrey Nytch, Pamela Pike, Stan Renard and Omar Thomas are the newest members of the esteemed Yamaha Master Educator Collective.