Performing for Music Education!

My name is Aidan and I have decided to perform on the street to raise money for the Education Through Music-Colorado educational program.

I am Senior at a small high school on the Colorado Plains. For the past seven years I have been playing the saxophone and it has changed my life. All these years of playing have made me realize that this is something that I want to do forever. Music is something that I want to share with people and bring them together. Music is amazing and everyone should be able to be part of it.   

The only reason I have journeyed down this path of music is because of the public middle school I attended. Fueled by the passion of my teachers and the joy of playing, it became an integral part of my life. While I know that not everyone will find a future in a music career, music is a wonderful hobby and I know many people who still play but not as a job. 

I hope that through ETM-Colorado every kid can have access to a music program in their school.

Hope to see you when I'm out performing in the cities of Colorado!

Who is ETM-Colorado?

Education Through Music-Colorado (www.etmcolorado.org) partners with under-resourced public schools to provide music as a core subject for all children. Founded in 2018, ETM-CO offers music classes to more than 2,000 students. They work only with Title I schools in low-income neighborhoods where the free and reduced lunch student program population is greater than 82%.

This organization belongs to a national nonprofit network that began operating over 30 years ago in New York, and then expanded to Los Angeles, Boston and Denver. Since its foundation, more than 300,000 students have learned about music, and through it, how to express themselves.

According to the ETM-CO 2021 Efficiency Index , for every dollar received, 91 cents go towards the educational program.

Why music education is so important?

The downsizing of school budgets too often results in the elimination of music programs, despite its proven importance in children's growth. Our thirty years of work and research show that MUSIC: enhances reading, writing, and math skills; boosts social and emotional capacities; develops teamwork, listening, and reflexes; improves academic achievement; increases parental and community engagement; fosters a multicultural environment. 

87% of teachers agree that music increases school engagement. 83% of children say that music classes make them like school more (Source: ETM Los Angeles Impact Study 2021).

A life-changing story

Jose is a changed name, but his story is true. He was a very guarded child: one of those who kept to himself in classes and during lunch at school. Unsure of his talent and skills, he had trouble connecting with others and engaging in school. He was tentative about expressing himself but one day music came to his school. He started to sing and dance. First by keeping his eyes closed and then opening them little by little. Jose's music class was a safe space for him to find his voice and happiness. He explored a more vulnerable space and experienced joy and a complete transformation as a student not just in music, but in all areas. Jose's principal relayed this story to our team at ETM-CO and thanked us because Jose is now engaged and happy to be in school.