Music Organizations unite to transform Access to Music Education
Leading music organizations and foundations have formed the Music Impact Coalition (MIC) to ensure equitable access to music education. The program launched with a $2 million pilot program in Ohio and North Carolina.
The music industry is often criticized for gatekeeping. But a new coalition is working to throw those gates open for the next generation. During this week’s LA Grammy celebrations 20 influential arts organizations announced the formation of the Music Impact Coalition (MIC).
Their mission is clear and urgent: ensuring every student in America has equitable access to music education. Supported by a $2 million grant from Let Music Fill My World, MIC is moving beyond advocacy into direct, data-driven action.
“Who’s Who” of Music Philanthropy
The scale of the coalition is what sets MIC apart. This isn’t a single nonprofit working in a silo. It is a unified front including powerhouse organizations The Recording Academy, Save The Music, The GRAMMY Museum, John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, Music Will and Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation.
The coalition is fueled by Let Music Fill My World (founded by Cayley Tull and Grammy-nominated artist John Ondrasik) and Artist For Artist (founded by Matthew Reich and Neal Saini). Their partnership represents a bridge between the high-level philanthropic world and the experiential, artist-driven side of the industry.
Other MIC coalition members include Adopt the Arts, Americans for the Arts, Arts Education Partnership, Creating Abundance Collaborative, D’Addario Foundation, Give a Note Foundation, Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts, Let Music Fill My World NAMM Foundation, NASAA, National Association for Music Education, NORC and the Tullman Family Office.
By aligning these groups, MIC pools resources, research, and lobbying for changes that no single organization could achieve.
Multi-State Pilot: Ohio and North Carolina
MIC is launching with a pilot program in Ohio and North Carolina as a test of scalable models for equitable public school music education. The coalition will use the results to inform a national rollout.
By working directly with state leaders, MIC intends to demonstrate exactly how music education delivers measurable improvements in student wellbeing and academic success.
The Data: Music Education as a Behavioral Tool
The coalition isn’t just relying on sentiment. They are leaning on research. Brookings Institution data shows that students with increased arts learning experiences saw:
- 36% fewer disciplinary incidents.
- a significant boost in standardized writing scores.
- a notable rise in empathy and compassion for others.
“Music is more than an art form,” ssaid Cayley Tull, co-founder of Let Music Fill My World. “It is a powerful tool that builds durable skills and supports student wellbeing.”
Bruce Houghton is Founder & Editor of Hypebot, Senior Advisor at Bandsintown, a Berklee College Of Music professor and founder of Skyline Artists.
