As a nonprofit organization specializing in music education for students, Music For Minors requires strong leadership to carry out its vision, according to its interim executive director Marcy Straw. This is personified in incoming executive director Valerie Meyer.
“Valerie is going to be a really inspiring partner,” Straw said. “She is dynamic, she’s very charismatic, she’s an incredible listener. She’s going to be a great partner to all of (our stakeholders) as we go forward.”
Meyer joined Music For Minors – initially funded by the Los Altos School District – in August, shadowing Straw to learn more about her role. Meyer plans to take over for Straw this month.
Bringing experience from 20 years working in tech, Meyer said she transitioned to Music For Minors due to the impact she has seen it have on her children.
“It is a really world class program in terms of really building strong music skills,” the San Mateo resident said. “I’ve seen my older student go through the program and learn to read music. She now plays the recorder and really has a strong foundation in many areas of music, including music literacy.”
Meyer added that music enriches a student’s learning in many ways that may not seem evident. This makes it an essential skill to teach students, especially as they develop through their childhood and face social adversity, she said.
“I believe in the power of music to establish connections, both in schools as a student and also within cultures,” Meyer said. “Music is a universal language that helps people connect, even if you don’t speak the same language or if you’re in a brand-new environment. It allows you to find a community, build a community and do something across culture and language barriers.”
As she takes on the role of executive director, Straw said Meyer will be tasked with directing much of Music For Minors’ operations, as it is the highest role in the organization.
“The team reports to the executive director,” Straw said. “They are the lead, if you will, on individual donor cultivation and relationships. So really, everything about the organization, from programs to finance, to fundraising, to our earned revenue, they are responsible for.”
Although Meyer said she is currently only looking to connect with and learn from her co-workers, she has many goals she wants to pursue, especially as the organization reaches an important milestone.
“We are coming up on our 50th year of service in 2026,” Meyer said. “That’s definitely a milestone that we want to celebrate and use to connect with people that have been associated with us in the past, as well as build upon that momentum for our next 50 years.”
Additionally, another goal of hers is to adapt to students’ needs and make sure Music For Minors is evolving with them.
“The program has continually evolved to better meet the needs of our students and our communities,” Meyer said. “I want to make sure that we have a culturally responsive curriculum that stays relevant to our schools and educators that are delivering the lessons.”
For more information on Music For Minors, visit mfm.org.
