Music Will (formerly Little Kids Rock)

Music Will (formerly Little Kids Rock) transforms lives by transforming music education. Through music, young people develop their ability to think creatively, problem solve (both individually and collectively), connect with themselves and others, nurture their empathic understanding, and express themselves through the songs they write and perform. Music Will has reached over 1.7 million students with highly inclusive and culturally responsive music education.

The Problem
Music education cannot impact the lives of children it does not reach. A full spectrum of fluency can be addressed and supported through music instruction, yet music curricula are often the first items to disappear in under-resourced schools across the U.S. Lack of funding is often cited as the biggest constraint to music education, but it is not the only obstacle. Even where programs do exist, many young people — especially those in historically marginalized communities — are not being engaged by traditional music education offerings as they fail to reflect the students’ musical interests and diverse cultural perspectives. Research shows that, even in schools that can offer music programs, approximately 80% of students will leave music education almost as soon as it becomes an elective. This happens despite the positive impact of music on the social, emotional, and even academic well-being of young people.

The Solution
At the core of the Music Will vision is the understanding that musical intelligence is a natural and vital entry point for developing creativity of all types. Capitalizing on the appeal of popular music, Music Will innovates music education in K-12 public schools by providing an engaging and relevant music program, instruments, instruction, and mentor training. Music Will first addresses accessibility in music education by partnering with schools and school districts that have reduced or eliminated their music programs. They prioritize partnerships with schools where more than 50% of students qualify for free or reduced-fee lunches. They increase participation in music-making by building curricula as diverse as the students they seek to serve. By teaching today’s most popular music genres — including pop, rap, rock, Hip Hop, Latin, and R&B, most of which were pioneered by people of color — their program gives students who feel represented by these genres the means to express themselves and be heard.

Music Will partners with school districts and invests in their most valuable assets: teachers. They train teachers to use Music Will’s revolutionary new approach to teaching and learning music by providing professional development, curricular resources, and musical instruments. This enables teachers to offer sustainable and high-impact music programs to their students. To complement this bottom-up approach, Music Will trains college and university professors to teach their methods and approach to music education majors. This allows the organization to reach the next generation of music teachers before they set foot in the classroom, affecting permanent system change in how music is taught and learned in schools. This unique approach has established Music Will as a leader in music education and works to ensure educational equity for underserved youth.