Music Will

Music Will is a nonprofit founded in 2002 that runs the largest music programme in the American public school system. Headquartered in Montclair, New Jersey, the organisation promotes a Modern Band approach to music education, in which pupils learn to play the popular genres they already listen to - rock, pop, hip hop, Latin, country and electronic music - rather than a canon fixed by tradition. Its Modern Band curriculum is now implemented in more than 6,000 schools.

The organisation's work rests on three strands. Its curriculum sets out the pedagogy of Modern Band instruction. Its professional-development arm trains teachers nationwide through in-person and online workshops, aimed at building both knowledge and classroom confidence. And its donations programme supplies instruments and curriculum materials to underserved school districts where budget constraints would otherwise leave music education untaught.

By its own account, Music Will has reached more than 2.5m students over its lifetime, including over 1m current participants, across more than 6,000 schools in over 1,000 cities and communities in all 50 states. Under its Music for Millions vision, the organisation has set a goal of empowering 11m students annually by 2030.

Music Will describes its work as a matter of equity: it holds that music education is a right rather than a privilege, and that curriculum should reflect the diverse cultures of the students it serves. Its stated mission is to transform lives by transforming music education.