Mission: Music for Minors (MFM) nurtures a lifelong love of music in children by providing high-quality, culturally relevant music education to elementary schools. Their goal is to ensure that all children, regardless of background, have access to the developmental and academic benefits that music education brings.
MFM partners with schools and districts to make music a foundational part of a well-rounded education. Their curriculum includes a diverse repertoire that connects students to music from around the world. Through 30-45 minute weekly lessons, students participate in singing, listening, reading music notation, movement and playing rhythm instruments, building upon each year’s knowledge from kindergarten through sixth grade. They also provide instrumental music instruction for fifth graders in select districts.
2024 Update: This year, MFM continues to serve more than 20,000 children in nearly 700 classrooms across more than 50 schools. In the 2023-2024 school year, MFM students demonstrated impressive musical progress, including a 33% improvement in kindergarteners’ beat accuracy, a 35% boost in rhythmic skills for first graders, a 54% gain in second graders’ two-part singing, and a 40% enhancement in ensemble performance for third and fourth graders. This growth highlights not only students’ musical development but also their increased confidence and engagement with the arts.
Additionally, MFM welcomed Marcy Straw as interim CEO this fall, following Sonja Wohlgemuth’s impactful 14-year leadership. Straw’s fresh guidance supports MFM’s commitment to expanding equitable access to music education and reaching even more students in the years to come.
Why the Holiday Fund is Needed: The Holiday Fund will help support MFM’s most critical need – subsidizing programs for under-resourced communities. Given the ongoing budget constraints of schools, MFM prioritizes working with under-resourced schools to ensure students who might not otherwise have access to music programs can benefit.
“Since our beginnings in Los Altos in 1976, our mission has been to bring music into the lives of thousands of children. In many under-resourced schools, our program is often the only source of music instruction,” interim CEO Marcy Straw said. “The Town Crier’s loyal community of donors has helped sustain this work over the years. We are deeply grateful for your generosity.”
