Creating a Brighter Future Through Music Education
Advancing equitable access to music & arts education through data-driven partnerships, policy alignment, and community-led solutions across America.
Let Music Fill My World • Tullman Family Office • Artist For Artist® • the Recording Academy® • GRAMMY Museum® • Music Will • Save The Music • NAMM Foundation • The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus • NORC • Americans For The Arts • NASAA • Adopt The Arts • Give A Note Foundation • D'Addario Foundation • National Association for Music Education • Creating Abundance Collaborative • Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts
Our Mission
Our Mission is to ensure every student in America has access to high quality music and arts education, regardless of circumstance, location, or resources. By bringing together nonprofits, cultural institutions, educators, and research organizations, MIC works to advance equitable access through collaboration, shared learning, and scalable solutions that strengthen public education and student wellbeing nationwide.
20+
Coalition Members
$2M
3-Year Commitment
2026
Program Launch
The Landscape
America Must Do More For Our Students
Despite the known benefits of music & arts education, access remains deeply inequitable. Systemic barriers have contributed to the ongoing marginalization of the arts in public education, especially in communities that stand to benefit most.
Access Gap Crisis
At least 4 million students don't have access to music education during the school day — with the gap most pronounced among students of color in urban and rural districts.
Chronic Absenteeism
Schools nationwide face a chronic absenteeism crisis — a trend the arts are uniquely positioned to help address through engagement and belonging.
Mental Health Emergency
The youth mental health crisis remains a top priority for families and officials. Music education provides proven pathways to improved well-being.
Workforce Readiness
The arts build critical skills tied to workforce readiness: collaboration, creativity, critical thinking, and executive functioning.
We believe every student in America deserves access to the kind of music education that helps them grow into confident, capable adults. Music is more than an art form — it is a powerful tool that builds durable skills, strengthens school communities, and supports student wellbeing.
— Cayley Tull, Co-Founder of Let Music Fill My World
A PHASED APPROACH TO LASTING IMPACT
We're building complete, locally driven models for equitable music & arts education access — backed by state frameworks, community engagement, and responsive data.
1.
Listen, Learn & Assess
Identify priority states and districts, assess participation barriers, and engage leaders and stakeholders to align partnerships.
3.
Pilot & Document
Provide ongoing resources, evaluation and support to refine solutions, while documenting outcomes and sharing lessons.
2.
Co-Create Solutions
Align strategies, funding, and resources with state and district partners with coalition support and innovative problem-solving.
4.
Scale Best Practices
Embed successful strategies in policy and planning, share proven practices to expand impact, and transition to a fully sustainable model.
Three-Year Pilot Objectives:
Informing national efforts through documented learnings
Developing long-term strategies that can scale statewide
Improving policy coherence across state and district systems
Engaging families, districts, and local communities
Supporting educators through professional development and aligned resources
Identifying gaps and opportunities in K–12 music access
Statewide Coalition Initiative
Building Systems-Level Change
Our $2 million commitment over three years will catalyze statewide coalition-building efforts and strengthen K–12 music education in North Carolina and beyond.
State Partners
North Carolina Arts Council (NCAC)
• Statewide arts education strategy
• Stakeholder engagement
• Co-lead statewide convenings
• Priority district selection
Arts North Carolina (Arts NC)
• Statewide advocacy
• Public mobilization
• Working groups support
• Communications & messaging
NC Department of Public Instruction (NCDPI)
• Standards & licensure expertise
• District engagement
• Data access facilitation
• School-level PD support
North Carolina
A statewide effort kicking off in 2026 to build systems-level capacity with aligned investments strengthening both statewide systems and direct school impact.
State Selection Criteria:
Measurable Opportunity
High unevenness in access where impact can be catalytic
Geographic Diversity
Urban and rural representation for scalable strategies
Accessible Data
Sufficient infrastructure via state, disctrict & MEDSS reporting
Policy Readiness
Supportive arts education requirements and teacher licensure
Local Energy & Leadership
Existing momentum from nonprofits, educators, and advocates
Willingness to Collaborate
Education leaders open to partnering and sharing data
Measuring Success
Outcomes That Matter
Our definition of success: Demonstrating — through coordinated action, strong collaboration, and data — how music and arts education delivers meaningful outcomes for students.
Student Well-Being
Improved student mental health and social-emotional development, including stronger connection, empathy, and a greater sense of belonging.
Improved Attendance
Arts engagement linked to reduced chronic absenteeism and stronger school belonging
Academic Success
Correlation between arts participation and improved learning outcomes across subjects
Workforce Readiness
Development of collaboration, creativity, and critical thinking skills for future careers
Powered by Data & Research
NORC at the University of Chicago is conducting multiple phases of research examining the association between music education and workforce outcomes, identifying key intermediate outcomes like social-emotional learning and academic success.
35
States with AEDP Data
120K
Schools Tracked
50
States in ArtScan
∞
Student Potential
Powered by Data & Research
Data & research
NORC at the University of Chicago
NORC at the University of Chicago is conducting multiple phases of research examining the association between music education and workforce outcomes, identifying key intermediate outcomes like social-emotional learning and academic success.
MEDSS assessments
Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation
MHOF helps sustain music programs in under-resourced schools by providing instruments, district support, and resources so more students can learn and play music.
MHOF will lead MEDSS (Music and Arts Education District Support Services) to help school districts analyze and strengthen their music and arts education systems.
Coalition Partners
A Powerful Alliance For Change
This work is only possible through partnership. We're bringing together funders, nonprofits, data experts, and advocates to co-create systemic solutions.
Education Through Music
Let Music Fill My World
Backbone Organization
Strategic leader, coalition coordination, seed funding, communications, and stakeholder engagement
Tullman Family Office
Backbone Organization
Strategic leader, coalition coordination, seed funding, communications, and stakeholder engagement
Artist For Artist®
Communications & Advocacy
Lead marketing, outreach, artist engagement, events, and narrative dissemination
Creating Abundance Collaborative
Assessment & Implementation
Statewide coordination and evaluation
Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation
Assessment & Research
District-level needs assessments (MEDSS)
Save the Music
Implementation & Resource
Instrument donations and program support
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Music Will
Implementation & Resource
Professional development and programming
the Recording Academy®
Communications & Advocacy
Advocacy and student enrichment
Give a Note Foundation
Implementation Partners
Programming and advocacy tools
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NORC at University of Chicago
Assessment & Research
Research and data analysis
Americans for the Arts
Advocacy Partners
National arts advocacy
NAfME
Implementation Partners
Music education advocacy and resources
NAMM Foundation
Implementation & Resource
Music industry partnerships
NASAA
Advocacy Partners
State arts agency coordination
Grammy Museum®
Communications & Advocacy
Educational programming and enrichment
Arts Education Partnership
Data Partners
Policy research and advocacy
Adopt the Arts
Implementation Partners
Arts education funding and support for K-5
D'Addario Foundation
Industry Partners
Music education philanthropy
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The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus
Implementation Partners
Mobile music education
Join Us
Be Part of the Movement
This coalition exists because partners like you believe every student deserves access to music & arts education. Together, we can create lasting change.
Foundations & Funders
Support upstream solutions with short-term pilots and long-term potential. Fund design, implementation, and data collection.
Nonprofit Partners
Co-design with local knowledge and expertise. Collaborate on advocacy, implementation, or story amplification.
State & District Leaders
Partner deeply with us. Share data, participate in assessments, and coordinate service delivery.
Supporters & Ambassadors
Artists, advocates, and community members can follow our social channels or sign up for updates to stay connected and help amplify music and arts education.
LATEST NEWS
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Music Impact Coalition?
The Music Impact Coalition (MIC) is a three-year, multi-state initiative focused on strengthening access to and participation in high-quality K–12 music and arts education through aligned partnerships, data-driven decision-making, and systems-level coordination.
Together we will:
● Expand equitable access to sequential arts learning
● Strengthen student participation and outcomes
● Create model to scale and replicate across diverse schools, districts, and states
Launched by Let Music Fill My World in collaboration with more than 20 of the nation’s leading music and arts education organizations and foundations, MIC is built around a shared commitment: ensuring that every student in America has equitable access to, and the ability to participate in, high-quality music and arts education.
Beginning in Fall 2026, MIC will pilot in North Carolina and Ohio through a $2 million seed investment from Let Music Fill My World. MIC prioritizes multi-level collaboration—working simultaneously at the state, district, and local levels—to ensure that policies, programs, and implementation practices are aligned and durable beyond philanthropic investment.
Which organizations make up the Music Impact Coalition?
MIC is a coalition comprised of national, regional, and local organizations committed to advancing music and arts education equity. Current participants include:
Adopt the Arts, Americans for the Arts, Artist For Artist®, Arts Education Partnership, Creating Abundance Collaborative, D’Addario Foundation, Give a Note Foundation, GRAMMY Museum®, Highmark Mann Center for the Performing Arts, The John Lennon Educational Tour Bus, Let Music Fill My World, Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, Music Will, NAMM Foundation, NASAA, National Association for Music Education, NORC, Save The Music, the Recording Academy®, and Tullman Family Office.
Of note, MIC remains open to expanding this group, inviting others to join as we continue to learn. While each organization brings its own mission, expertise, and approach, MIC provides a coordinated platform for collective action.
What cause does the Music Impact Coalition serve?
MIC believes music and arts education are not enrichment - they are essential infrastructure for student success, wellbeing, and long-term opportunity. MIC champions:
● Access to music and arts education should be treated as a core component of student success, not an optional add-on.
● Despite strong evidence of positive academic, social-emotional, and measurable economic stability outcomes, access and participation remain uneven, particularly in under-resourced communities.
● Systems-level inequities require coordinated, measurable, and replicable solutions.
While meaningful progress has been made, significant gaps remain. If the goal of K–12 education is to prepare young people to thrive as adults—in work, relationships, and community—then students must engage in learning that fosters creativity, collaboration, discipline, and belonging. Music and the arts cultivate these qualities in powerful and measurable ways.
What is our collective impact approach?
There’s a saying: “Alone we go fast; together we go far.” At MIC, we believe that when we move together, we go fast, far, and wide.
MIC operates as a collective impact initiative, aligning partners around a shared agenda, common measurement tools, mutually reinforcing activities, continuous communication, and a strong backbone organization. Rather than duplicating efforts, the coalition coordinates existing strengths to address systemic barriers to access and participation.
What are MIC's goals?
MIC’s ultimate goal is to remove barriers to access and increase participation in music and arts education nationwide.
Success will be measured in a few primary ways:
Results – Increased student access, participation, and quality of music and arts education in targeted districts.
Influence & Sustainability – Structural alignment within state and district education systems that embeds music and arts education into long-term practice, allowing progress to be sustained and scaled beyond the life of the initial investment, including within the policy environment.
Although coalition members pursue this work through different strategies, these shared goals unify our collective action.
What is MIC's process to achieve these goals?
MIC’s work unfolds across four interconnected phases:
Phase 1: Listen, Learn & Assess (January – July 2026)
● Identify two states for deep partnership.
● Build trust with state and local leaders and confirm commitments from on-the-ground partners.
● Engage state leadership to assess current advocacy efforts and identify opportunities to strengthen capacity and cohesion at both the state and local levels.
● Work collaboratively with state agencies partners to identify a short-list of prospective districts for MIC engagement.
● Conduct district-level assessments to understand access and participation barriers and system needs.
These assessments will generate actionable, site-specific recommendations across music and arts disciplines. While early data collection may reflect the broader arts ecosystem, implementation strategies and funding will likely focus more narrowly on in-school music education to maximize sustainable, systemic change.
Phase 2: Co-Create Solutions & Implement (July – September 2026 on)
● Collaborate with state and district partners to align and deploy resources in response to assessment findings.
● Partner with selected districts to develop strategy design and service coordination, supported by coalition partners.
● Explore connections with Career and Technical Education (CTE) pathways to support workforce-aligned arts opportunities.
While the primary focus remains in-school learning, out-of-school strategies may also be integrated where locally appropriate.
Phase 3: Document
● Partner with researchers to analyze outcomes and document implementation.
● Tell the story of how local action and state alignment drive results.
● Share learnings to inform future strategy, funding, and policy across additional states and districts.
Phase 4: Continued Partnership & Scaling
● Identify scalable best practices.
● Provide coalition consultation and support to expand successful models into new contexts.
What are the roles & responsibilities for each participating organization within the coalition?
The roles below reflect early alignment conversations and are non-binding. Final responsibilities will be defined through formal agreements as MIC engagement with North Carolina and Ohio partners progresses.
Of note - several coalition participants are not yet listed in this document as their roles are TBD.
Backbone & Core Leadership
Tullman Family Office / Let Music Fill My World
● Serve as backbone organization and primary coalition coordinator
● Act as seed funder, strategic leader, and primary decision-maker
● Manage communications, narrative storytelling, and partner engagement
● Lead collaboration and coordination between MIC participants and subgroups
● Convene key stakeholders throughout the course of the pilot
Assessment & Research Partners
Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation (MHOF)
● Lead MEDSS assessments
○ Music (and Arts) Education District Support Services (MEDSS) is a comprehensive arts (dance, media arts, music, theatre, and visual arts) education assessment that identifies challenges and barriers creating inequities for student access and participation in quality, sequential and sustainable music and arts programming at every school throughout an entire school district.
● Identify gaps in equitable access to quality instruction
● Provide implementation guidance related to staffing, infrastructure, and scheduling
● Track progress and impact over time
NORC at the University of Chicago
● Conduct longitudinal research on education, social, economic, and workforce outcomes
● Identify short- and long-term impacts
● Support impact measurement and storytelling through data analysis
Implementation & Resource Partners
Save The Music
● Provide instruments and equipment based on district readiness and need
● Support teacher professional development
● Serve as a flexible implementation partner
Music Will
● Support teacher professional development and curricular resources
● Teacher network and community-building: create an engaged and connected educator community to operate as an asset for shared learning, buy-in, and also for advocacy and sustained programming in states.
● Serve as a flexible implementation partner
Other Service & Implementation Organizations (TBD)
● Deliver technical assistance and programming aligned to local needs
● May include CTE-aligned and workforce development partners
● Collaborate with educators, families, and communities
Communications & Advocacy
Artist For Artist®
● Lead marketing, outreach, and narrative dissemination
the Recording Academy® / GRAMMY Museum®
● Help shape narrative design and provide meaningful opportunities to bring national attention on MIC engagement and results.
Advocacy & Policy Partners (e.g., Americans for the Arts, NASAA, AEP, SEADAE)
● Elevate outcomes and translate learnings into policy and public messaging
● Ensure cultural and geographic representation
State & District Partners
● Identify local barriers and co-create solutions
● Share data and participate in assessments
● Coordinate service delivery