Music Program Keeps Students Out Of Trouble In California's Public Schools

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Los Angeles County's sprawl includes a number of small, unified school districts that often don't get as much attention or funding as others. Some of these are located in remote and ethnically rich areas. Programs that everyone agrees are necessary seem not-quite-as-necessary when test scores drop, or budget battles begin. Music programs, especially at the elementary school level, are often the first to go. In an effort to keep music in the schools, many principals, educators and parents are fighting this trend with the help of the Harmony Project.

Making Music For Over A Decade

"The Harmony Project is 14 years old this year. We started with 36 kids and experienced rapid growth. In 2015, we are currently bringing music education to 1,940 kids in L.A. County," explains Myka Miller, the Harmony Project's Executive Director.

The Harmony Project is a non-profit organization that works with kids wherever they can find them, setting up shop not only in schools but also in church basements and community centers. They are active within the Lennox, Wiseburn and Lawndale Unified School Districts of Los Angeles County.

Without the Harmony Project, schools within those districts would have zero music options available for students at the elementary-school level. The Harmony Project also works with kids in inner city Los Angeles through the Los Angeles Unified School District.

"We raise most of our funding from individual and foundation sources. We also get funding for personnel and instruments from Beyond the Bell, an after-school learning provider," Miller explains.

An Emphasis On Team Building 

Each student involved in the Harmony Project gets music instruction throughout the week. Two days a week are spent in a group class and on the weekend, they typically have an ensemble rehearsal.

The music is varied from orchestral to jazz and mariachi. Many instructors are also classically trained, so classical influences often make their way into the music. The children get to weigh in on the type of instrument they wish to learn. Lots of kids keep their fingers crossed for violins, clarinets and flutes, and most usually get their wish.

"We also offer some piano and guitar instruction, but our focus is on ensemble playing," says Miller. "We believe in the community-building aspects provided by playing music with others." Harmony kids range from ages 5 to 18, and often find their way back to the program after graduation.

"We allow them to come back no matter where they live in town or where they go to school, plus it's entirely free to them," says Miller. The cost of funding is $1,500 a year per student.

Ninety-seven percent of Harmony Project kids who spend three or more years in the program go on to four-year colleges or universities, including nearby UCLA and California State University, as well as Dartmouth and Tulane. Many of the kids from the program gravitate not toward musical careers but rather, STEM-centric paths in engineering, math, science and the medical profession.

A Change In Path And Direction

Miller has seen children's lives shift direction dramatically as a result of the program and their exposure to making music. The Project's mission to promote healthy growth and development of both children and communities is powerfully felt within the school communities they have adopted.

"A lot of kids start out really withdrawn and come out of their shell," says Miller. "Others seem headed down the wrong path, attracted by local gangs and the concept of belonging to someone, anyone. I see them replacing the lure of violence and street life with that of music and our mission. It's an alternate opportunity and once provided, they seize upon it. It gives them purpose."

Corey Whelan is a freelance writer in New York. Her work can be found at Examiner.com.