Music IS Education and has been for nearly 200 years in the United States and for thousands of years before that in some cultures. More than 25 million students participate in school-based music education, with 92% of all students having access to music education in their schools.
Music IS Education
Be a Music Advocate in your school, community, and state!
Advocacy is the key to sustaining and growing music education nationwide. This school year brings four points that call us to action. By working together, we can transform these challenges into opportunities for every student.
- Funding for Public Schools: School districts could face significantly reduced revenue in the coming school year due to state and local budget shortfalls and a shift in federal funding.
- Access to Music and Arts Education: Over the last three years, we have seen fewer states requiring arts credits for high school graduation or as required instruction throughout K-12.
- Focus on Workforce Skills: Many states are putting a significant emphasis on workforce skills and pathways. Oftentimes lacking the knowledge of how music education supports the development of workforce skills.
- Music Teaching Profession: We are facing a music teacher shortage as a nation, and every school needs a music teacher! Learn more about becoming a music teacher at TeachMusic.org.
Introducing Karl B – Your Personal Advocacy Assistant!
Karl B is your personal advocacy assistant. Powered by an expertly curated knowledge base, this AI-powered advocacy assistant will help you with many of your advocacy questions and needs.
February 5, 2026 Webinar: Model State Legislation and Peer Networking!
The next Music IS Education webinar will be held on February 5, 2026 at 7 PM. Topic: Model State Legislation and Peer Networking. Also, new resources! For previous webinars, visit our webinars page located here!
William E. LaMothe, C.E.O.
Xerox Company
“There is a practical reason for music education: it teaches people to think, to solve problems, to take risks, to think independently, to be an entrepreneur and innovator. The virtues of music education are the virtues of free enterprise in general and of a high tech, knowledge based society in particular: flexibility, adaptability, inventiveness, even playfulness.”
Shonda Rhimes
Award-winning American producer, screenwriter, and director
“I loved every minute of [high school band]. My teacher, Greg Bimm, taught me so much–the power of practice makes perfect, to believe in myself, and to try new things. Most powerful and important was learning about the pursuit of perfection, which was really powerful and important. Failure is as good for you as success.”
Oliver Sacks
World Renowned Neurologist and Author
“There is little doubt that regular exposure to music, and especially active participation in music, may stimulate development of many different areas of the brain…. In terms of brain development, musical performance is every bit as important educationally as reading or writing.”
Did you know?
200 Years of Music Education
Music has been part of public education in the United States for nearly 200 years.
Music students show up!
Students enrolled in music and arts classes throughout high school have between 32.3% and 50.8% lower chronic absenteeism rates than non-arts students.
Music students go to college.
Music students are more likely to be accepted into and attend college than their non-music peers.
Music builds workplace skills (and life skills!)
Self-awareness, self-efficacy, time management, perseverance, social awareness, and relationship building are skills that contribute to career success.
Music skills are future-proof.
Music teaches skills that can’t be replaced by machines, such as collaboration, creativity, and abstract thinking.
~90% of Americans support music and arts in schools.
In the most recent Americans for the Arts survey, 88 percent of people stated they believe the arts are part of a well-rounded education for K-12 students, including 56 percent who strongly agreed (versus just 7 percent who disagreed).
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Student Access to Music
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Student Participation in Music
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Students w/o Access to Music