Music Will runs the largest nonprofit music program in the U.S. public school system. Its teachers currently serve over 500,000 students in more than 600 cities and towns across the country. We believe that music education is a right, not a privilege, and it should reflect the cultures of the students it serves. That’s why, for two decades now, our programs have taught students such popular American genres as rock, pop, R&B, Latin, rap and country—alongside styles already taught in schools, such as classical and jazz. Today, a national network of K-12 districts has adopted the Music Will program as their own. Additionally, more than 70 colleges and universities now use our approach to music education majors. Several state departments of education have partnered with Music Will to grow music education in the schools they serve. Its mission of transforming lives by transforming music education has grown into a movement.

Music Will began as an informal effort by former Palo Alto schoolteacher, Dave Wish, who was frustrated by the lack of music programming in his school. Borrowing from friends and scouring area flea markets for instruments, he began offering free guitar classes after school using the popular music the students wanted to play. Many school teachers in Dave’s area were inspired by his program’s incredible impact, so he began offering training to help them start their own music classes. He coined the term “modern band” to describe his unique curriculum, later publishing Modern Band Method textbooks with Hal Leonard. Dave left the classroom in 2002 to found “Little Kids Rock,” the nonprofit that became Music Will in 2022.

Welcome to The Novo for our Music Will Benefit 2024, an evening filled with inspiration, impact, and of course, music! Thank you to our Title Sponsor, the Hot Topic Foundation, and our Presenting Sponsor, Gregory and Carolyn Hall, along with all sponsors and donors for making tonight possible.

I’m thrilled that we have Andra Day, Josh Groban, Rhiannon Giddens, Michael Bearden, and the talented House Band gracing our stage tonight. Thank you all – your presence here means the world to us. I’m equally excited for the performances from the students of Miramonte Elementary School, Verdugo Hills High School, and Music Will alumna Yancyabril. I’m excited both to hear their performances and to see this next generation of musicians take their rightful place on stage next to some of today’s incredible musical icons.

Across the country, thousands of Music Will teachers are supporting nearly 600,000 students as they deepen their relationship to music, enhance their identities as music makers, and connect their love of music with the music they make in school. While we can’t host the 30,000 Benefits necessary to provide every student with tonight’s unique platform, we are providing music teachers across the US with training, instruments, resources, a peer network, and community events so that those hundreds of thousands of students have access to their own unique and impactful opportunities to expand the role that music can play in their lives.

As a young child who struggled with severe social anxiety, music was a place where I learned to feel comfortable with my voice. As a young adult, I watched the last months of my father’s life surrounded by his fellow musicians and it brought so much peace to him in those final days. I joined the Music Will community this year because I believe that in a world that has no shortage of grief, injustice, and challenge, we all need and deserve joy, free expression, and everything that comes with a song, a melody, or a beat.

As much as Music Will has accomplished over the last 22 years, we know there’s more we can achieve. By 2029, 1.2 million students every year will participate in a Music WIll classroom, 40% of all K-12 music students will participate in a class influenced by our approach to teaching music, and we will use our platform to advocate for changes that can expand access to the profession of teaching music and increase the participation of K-12 students in music classes across the country. You being here tonight brings us closer to those ambitious goals. And we hope you will continue to be a part of this movement to enrich the musical journey of millions of students moving forward.

Thank you all and enjoy the show!
Mike Wasserman

Welcome to the Music Will Benefit 2024! We’re thrilled to have you here tonight and hope that you’re having a great time. We encourage you to take photos and share them on social media using our official event hashtag #MusicWillBenefit2024. By sharing your experience, you can help spread the word about our mission and inspire others to get involved!

Whether you’re posting on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok or any other platform, we want to see your content! Don’t forget to tag us (see below) and use the #MusicWillBenefit2024 event hashtag so that we can share your posts!

Thank you so much for your support! We can’t wait to see all the amazing memories you capture tonight.

Instagram: @musicwill
Twitter: @musicwillorg
TikTok: @musicwillorg
LinkedIn: Music Will
Facebook: Music Will

Feel free to include a link to our website for people to learn more about our mission: musicwill.org.

Suggested Posts:

1. Rocking out at the #MusicWillBenefit2024 concert tonight! Proceeds go towards @MusicWill’s mission of providing access to music education to underserved communities. So grateful to be a part of such an amazing cause! #MusicWithAMission #MusicEducation

2. Watching these young students perform tonight at the #MusicWillBenefit2024 has been such a joy! Thank you to @MusicWill for providing them with the resources and support they need to pursue their passion for music. Learn more about their mission at musicwill.org. #MusicWithAMission #MusicEducation

3. Tonight’s #MusicWillBenefit2024 is all about making a difference in the lives of young students and our future musicians. Let’s come together to support the mission of @MusicWill and ensure that every child has access to quality music education. #MusicWithAMission #MusicEducation

4. Music education is so important for the growth and development of our youth. Let’s continue to support organizations like @MusicWill that are working to make it accessible to everyone. Learn more at musicwill.org. #MusicWillBenefit2024 #MusicWithAMission