Our Mission: Music & Music Education for All

Education and community engagement have been at the very heart of the Nashville Symphony's mission since the orchestra's formation in 1946. With the opening of Schermerhorn Symphony Center in 2006, we launched Music Education City, a major expansion of our existing programs. This broad-based initiative was designed after conducting an in-depth study of area school and community needs. Today, our organization works closely with Metro Nashville Public Schools, local leaders and several valuable community partners to implement a diverse array of programs specifically designed to meet the needs of the Middle Tennessee region.

Music Education City is supported by six "pillars" of program service, each representing an area of educational emphasis. Click each link to learn more:

1. Advocacy
2. Children's Concerts
3. Music Instruction
4. Family and Adult Education
5. Professional Development
6. Education on Tour

Why Does Music Education Matter?

Music is essential to children's growth, learning and potential. Extensive research has shown that it makes a tremendous impact on young people's development and has proven to help level the "learning field" across socioeconomic boundaries. Below are some key findings from several landmark studies about the remarkable power and effectiveness of music education.

Students who study music and the arts:

• Test significantly higher — by more than 100 points — on SATs.
• Are four times more likely to be recognized for academic achievement.
• Read and write at higher levels.
• Have higher school attendance levels.
• Show greater skills of teamwork and conflict resolution compared with those without music education.
• Demonstrate higher-level brain development and functions, as shown in recent brain science studies.

Schools that provide music and arts instruction:

• Have higher graduation rates.
• Have higher levels of parent participation and lower incidents of violence.

Sources:

Champions of Change, The Arts Education Partnership & The President's Committee on the Arts and the Humanities College Board
Critical Links: Learning in the Arts and Student Academic and Social Development
Graduate School of Education and Information Studies, UCLA
National Research Center for the Gifted and Talented, University of Connecticut
Youth Arts Development Project, U.S. Department of Justice

Our Plan: One Note, One Neighborhood

In April 2008, the Nashville Symphony launched One Note, One Neighborhood (ONON). Presented in partnership with W.O. Smith/Nashville Community Music School and Metro Nashville Public Schools, this cutting-edge initiative is the flagship program of Music Education City. The idea is simple, yet profound: to supplement and extend resources already in place so that music can assume a fundamental role in educating Nashville-area schoolchildren.

ONON provides comprehensive music education services to public school clusters most in need of resources and support. The program originated in East Nashville's Stratford cluster and has since expanded to the Pearl-Cohn cluster in North Nashville, with plans for continued expansion in the years to come. Services offered include Young People's Concerts, in which students attend a live performance at the Schermerhorn; Ensembles in the Schools, in which musicians work with students in the classroom; and professional development training, which provides teachers tools for incorporating music into classroom instruction.

A unique afterschool component ensures that the most dedicated students have access to hands-on music instruction at the W.O. Smith School, along with instruments and transportation to and from lessons — all free of charge. This aspect of ONON has provided many deserving children with the opportunity to pursue music studies, and it's helping to lay the groundwork for a whole new generation of dedicated musicians and music educators.

One Note, One Neighborhood would not be possible without the support of Nissan North America, Inc., The Martin Foundation, Bank of America and Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County.

In addition to the generous sponsors recognized in this section of our website, the Nashville Symphony's education programs receive funding from the National Endowment for the Arts, the Tennessee Arts Commission, the Metropolitan Nashville Arts Commission, the Nashville Symphony Orchestra League and the Nashville Symphony Annual Campaign.