Music teachers, there’s still time to get involved in this endeavor: Teach Music America Week is coming up, and it’s a very direct way of engaging potential students and giving them a chance to try out a music lesson for the first time.  This is the third time the organization has organized this nationwide effort, and so far, hundreds of schools have signed up to participate across the country.

SoCal participants include the Claremont Community School of Music, Guitar Center (various), Music & Arts (various), Opus Music of South Bay (Torrance), Bravo Academy of Music (La Habra), Oksana School of Music & Art (Los Angeles), The Music Abode (Anaheim), and Sound Experiences (Redlands), to name a few.  There’s still time to have your school or studio added.  Click here to get involved.

It begs the question:  what are you doing to offer incentives for new students?  The fact is, some people need a nudge, whether they fear they lack talent, worry about criticism, or are just shy.  While a free first lesson is fairly common among music teachers, this open effort to market that opportunity is bound to reach a much broader and more diverse audience than traditional word-of-mouth.  Give it some thought, and see if it’s a good fit for you. If not, is there something else you can do to welcome new people into your studio? You could discover a music junkie waiting for training, and build lifelong relationships with students you might not have encountered otherwise. Lives will be changed.

Press release follows.

500+ Music Schools to Offer Free Music Lesson for Teach Music America Week – March 20-26

PHILADELPHIA, Feb. 22, 2017 /PRNewswire/ — This year, over 500 music schools from 47 states will participate in the third annual Teach Music America Week by offering a complimentary music lesson to new students. Teach Music America Week was founded by the Keep Music Alive organization as a way to inspire musicians and music schools across the country to offer one free 30-minute lesson to new students. All interested music students (children and adults) are also encouraged to seek out a participating music school or musician.

Teach Music America Week is celebrated during the third week of March to coincide with National Music in Our Schools Month (MIOSM). Some of largest music school chains in the country will be participating in Teach Music America Week this year, including the Guitar Center, Music & Arts and the legendary School of Rock. Vincent James, founder of Keep Music Alive, states: “Music education helps children develop confidence, patience, and social skills as well as improve their academics. It has also been demonstrated to provide many benefits to adults who take up an instrument later in life. Sometimes the biggest hurdle in doing something is just getting started; with Teach Music America Week, we are hoping to give birth to a multitude of new musicians who will continue playing music long after the month of March is over.”

Keep Music Alive is an organization dedicated to promoting the value of music in our world: educationally, therapeutically and overall making us a happier society.  To help spread this message it has founded Kids Music Day, celebrated the first Friday in October and Teach Music America Week in March. It has also published the book 88+ Ways Music Can Change Your Life, featuring over 150 inspirational music stories from musicians, music teachers and music fans from around the world including a number of celebrities.  Fifty percent of the proceeds from “88+ Ways Music” are donated to organizations that provide instruments and music instruction to schools and communities in need. Current beneficiaries include Guitars in the Classroom, Spirit of Harmony and Mr. Hollands Opus Foundation.

For more information on Teach Music America Week and Keep Music Alive, please visit the websites below or contact Vincent James at (610) 874-6312 or by email.

www.TeachMusicAmerica.org

www.KeepMusicAlive.org