Bringing Music Education to Students Nationwide with HARMAN and Music Will

Originally published on HARMAN Newsroom

As a global leader in audio innovation and with a rich heritage in the music industry, we at HARMAN have all experienced the power of music to inspire, connect, and change countless lives. While many of us discover new music through streaming or the radio, learning about music in a classroom setting is proven to bring a range of benefits that extend throughout a student’s life. Outcomes of playing music include better communication skills, improved emotional release, and decreased anxiety and agitation, while music education also promotes cognitive function, mental health, and a connection to others.

Through our global cause initiative, HARMAN Inspired, and in partnership with the national music education nonprofit Music Will, our teams are helping bring music education and resources to classrooms and communities across the U.S. Together, we have explored how technology can help bring music education to students in new ways and carried out initiatives that have reached over one million students. We constantly aim to expand the programs to even more students – in fact, this past school year marks our highest single-year impact to date! In honor of Music in our Schools Month, we’re celebrating some of the key milestones that we achieved during the 2022-2023 school year:

• We reached 645,500+ total students in the classrooms of 3,140 teachers coast-to-coast
• 75 workshops provided 4,750 professional development hours to 891 new and returning Music Will teachers
• 486 new modern band programs launched in 26 program markets that brought music to more than 84,000 new students
• 3,400 instruments were donated to schools nationwide
• 950 teachers enrolled in our new online learning management system, which provides asynchronous training to advance teachers’ skills on their own time

Last year, HARMAN also surprised Music Will-trained teachers and students with instrument gifts, classroom makeovers, and live performances during Music Will’s “12 Days of Donations” give-away campaign during the holiday season. Together, we initiated a classroom makeover at John C. Fremont High School in Los Angeles, CA and instrument donations for students at Hoover Elementary School in Harper Woods, MI.

In support of Music Will during CES and HARMAN EXPLORE, we held an auction to win a brand new guitar signed by rock brand Green Day. Entrants made a donation for a chance to win, and HARMAN matched the donations to further expand access to music education for students across the U.S. As the proud winner of the guitar, Shawn DuBravac shared a video reflecting on the impact and meaning that music has had on his life.

HARMAN and Music Will’s shared passion for music is the driving force behind our ongoing commitment to providing students with opportunities to experience the power of music and enjoy the benefits offered by access to quality music education. For more information on HARMAN Inspired and our efforts to empower the next generation to realize their potential through music, technology, and service, visit: https://www.harman.com/inspired.