Developing Community-Based Music Programs

This session offers hands-on guidance for developing and sustaining community-based music programs of all sizes. Drawing on the presenter’s research and professional experience establishing programs across the country, participants will explore the practical realities of launching and maintaining music education initiatives rooted in access, equity, and community engagement. The session begins with foundational planning: clarifying vision and values, drafting mission and statements, and outlining core instructional designs. From there, key phases of program development are examined, including assessing local ecosystems, navigating business structures, securing sustainable funding, and addressing liability, health, and safety. Participants will receive tools for market research, budgeting, and strategies for recruiting and retaining both faculty and students, with an emphasis on community responsiveness and collaborative leadership. In addition to best practices, this session will also share findings from case-study research on organizational models for community schools of the arts, highlighting characteristics of both divisional and independent structures. By the end of the session, participants will gain insight into (1) how to create strategic program models rooted in mission, community needs, and instructional priorities; (2) leadership strategies that foster collaboration and shared ownership; and (3) organizational structures that align with program goals and support sustainable growth.

Aaron Jacobs, Assistant Professor of String Pedagogy at the University of New Mexico and Director of the UNM String Lab School, is an accomplished violinist and educator dedicated to inspiring musicians of all ages. He has served as a violin professor on the faculties of Millikin University and Illinois State University and is a licensed music educator with experience across all levels. While at the University of Illinois, he founded the Illinois String Academy, a comprehensive program offering private and group instruction on the violin, viola, cello, and double bass, as well as orchestra, chamber music, music theory, and composition. He also developed a violin program for the Danville, Illinois, public school district that served nearly 200 first- and second-grade students. A highly active clinician at national and international conferences, he has also frequently served as Director of the Paul Rolland String Pedagogy Workshop.

NAfME presents this live virtual event at no charge to all as a service to the music education profession. To register, you must enter your NAfME member information or create a nonmember account. After registering, check your email for instructions. A recording of this program will be available to all registrants for one week following the live event. Members can also view archived NAfME webinars in the NAfME Academy.

The views expressed are those of the presenter; they do not necessarily reflect the views of NAfME.