Education Through Music-Los Angeles is grateful for LA2050’s partnership which nurtured our post-pandemic recovery efforts in bringing music education back to under-resourced school communities across LA County. In the 2022-23 school year, ETM-LA reached approximately 18,500 students across 42 schools and 5 school districts with sequential, comprehensive music education yearlong. ETM-LA onboarded two new schools: Gil Garcetti Learning Academy and Washington Elementary in Compton. Despite the challenges due to the nationwide teacher shortage and recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, ETM-LA successfully: provided weekly, sequential, yearlong in-school music instruction to all partner school students; worked with school principals to build individualized multi-year plans to guide sustainability; provided 100+ hours of customized professional development to music teachers and classroom teachers, including an emphasis on strategies to support students’ social-emotional well-being; performed ongoing assessment and evaluation; increased parent and community involvement to build support, awareness, and advocacy for core curriculum music education; and supported emerging practitioners in music.

ETM-LA placed 32 music teachers and interns who are dedicated to implementing a culturally responsive approach to teaching with a focus on social-emotional learning. Nurturing character development, self-esteem, and social skills, the music classes embed STEAM-focused lessons, multimedia music, music technology, attention to engaging students with special needs, music therapy, and healing-centered practices.

Robbie Tate, Vice Principal of Payne P-8 STEAM Academy in Inglewood, shared: "Having ETM-LA at our school, it gives them a reason to be excited about coming to school. Our families really appreciate the music program...having it at school, for free, and exposing kids to opportunities that they may not have had, it's very positive and exciting.”

In January 2023, three ETM-LA partner schools (Washington Elementary - Compton USD; William McKinley Elementary & Providencia Elementary - Burbank USD) were among only 19 schools statewide to receive the California Exemplary Arts Education Award, for their exemplary commitment to providing adequate resources and funding for arts education.

In March 2023, we held our 13th Annual Music Unites the World Festival at CA State University Los Angeles back in person since 2019. The Festival featured student performances (choir, band, and strings) and workshops with vocal/instrumental coaches, including Rickey Minor (Emmy® Award-Winning Music Director, Composer, & Producer; American Idol, Stevie Wonder, Jennifer Hudson), Juan Rodriguez (Music Teacher & Band Director; ETM-LA 2022 Shining Star Music Educator), Angel Velez (Conductor & Orchestrator, Star Wars: The Clone Wars, The Mandalorian; ETM-LA Associates Board Member), Baraka May (Billie Eilish, Harry Styles, Encanto), Zanaida Robles (Performing Arts Instructor, Harvard-Westlake School, Vocalist; Glee, Tinkerbell: Pirate Fairy, Minions, Creed), and Misha Shtangrud (Director of Vocal Ensembles at Colburn School of Music; Artistic Director at MUSYCA Children’s Choir).

Students prepared performance pieces and showcased them in person at Winter & Spring Concerts open to family members. This provided the opportunity to demonstrate skills learned in the music classroom using innovative techniques like songwriting, physical movement, sign language, and instrumental performances. To engage students in the summer months, ETM-LA hosted a free two-week summer program that incorporated aspects of math, reading, and social-emotional wellness. Students from ETM-LA partner schools joined the workshop tracks on General Music, Singing, Strings, and Band.

ETM-LA is witnessing the positive impact on K-12 STEAM Education and student performance and attitudes toward the arts and school. Music teachers focused on integrating school subjects into music lessons to create ties across the curriculum and support academic skills through music. One lesson example, titled “Ensemble Vocabulary,” incorporated math (counting, sequencing) as students define and distinguish between different ensemble numbers through song, movement, and play.

Data collected during the 2022-2023 school year found:

• Over 94% of school leaders have witnessed improvement in student's attitudes towards school and the arts
• Over 91% have witnessed an overall increase in students' confidence which they believe music learning has supported
• Over 90% of classroom teachers have used music/arts to support learning this year

Furthermore, school and community understanding of, and support for, arts education was reflected in 99% of surveyed parents/guardians replying, “Yes” to the statement: “Do you think music education is important for the school community?” (Winter Concert Surveys, 2022). A parent shared, “My children love music... having a music class at school motivates them to be more involved in school.” Students expressed, “Music has made me more social and have more friends,” and “Music has changed my life by helping me be more confident and more focused on school work."

Music Teacher Evaluations from Spring 2023 showed an average increase in growth within all 10 evaluation areas, including Engaging Students in Learning and Using Assessment in Instruction. 96% of participants reported training workshops as highly effective/effective

and that they gained useful skills and techniques. Feedback included: “‘Students With Exceptionalities’ was very eye-opening in regards to all the accommodations and modifications you could make,” and “I was able to learn and will implement numerous General Music activities that were demonstrated by my fellow teachers this year.” Also, 100% of Music Teacher Interns reported the positive impact ETM-LA had on their growth and development. Feedback included: “There has been a substantial amount of mentorship and learning opportunities that lead toward teaching your own classes, and I’m glad that I was able to get so much classroom experience without spending years obtaining a music education degree.”

In Summer 2023, three (3) ETM-LA partner schools in Compton Unified graduated from our program, hiring onto their payroll two (2) ETM-LA credentialed Music Teachers: Foster Elementary, Kennedy Elementary, and McKinley K-8 Integrated Arts School. Additionally, Burbank Unified hired an ETM-LA Credentialed Music Teacher to further expand the district programs in line with our shared vision for sustainability. Furthermore, 100% of ETM-LA's returning partner schools maintained their level of giving and commitment (funding/resources/scheduling).

While the recent passage of Prop 28 – which dedicates approximately $1 billion for music and arts education in K-12 public schools in California – is positive, there remains a lack of human capital and resources (beyond funding) and fragmentation of music and arts programming across school districts. The length of time needed to progress from having no (or limited) music education to an established school-wide, sustained program for all students varies from school to school, and requires care, coordination, and collaborative planning among school and community members.

Even with ETM-LA maintaining strong music teacher retention (<20% turnover compared to national 57% average) the past year, the national shortage of educators has resulted in fewer applicants and less viable candidates; we are seeing fewer numbers of teaching applicants. Our short-term response is to limit our school partner expansion in order to ensure high program quality for current schools, and to invest in our Music Teacher Internship Program and district-wide PD and sustainability support. For the longer term, ETM-LA is continuing our strong ongoing support for existing music teachers to keep retention high, while simultaneously strengthening our work to build pipelines to find new, emerging, and future qualified music teachers.

ETM-LA’s recent media features/mentions include:

• ETM-LA’s Victoria Lanier was featured in the National Association for Music Education Teaching Music Magazine: “The Power of One” (Spring 2023)
• ETM-LA’s Tiffiny Reckley was featured on mental health agency The Guidance Center’s Podcast My Backyard: “The Magic of Music” (Spring 2023)
• ETM-LA Board Certified Music Therapist Ricardo Hurtado was featured on the Music Therapy Panel livestreamed @ The Grammy Museum (2023)
• ETM-LA in U2/Bono music video, featured in support of Prop 28 to further music and arts funding for California schools (2022-23)

We were grateful to receive additional funding catalyzed by this grant from the Annenberg Foundation. Thank you, LA2050 and the Goldhirsh Foundation for being champions in providing equity, access, and inclusion to children so that they – our future leaders – can make Los Angeles the best place to create, play, connect, live, and learn in 2050.