FAQ
- What is ETM-Bay Area (Education Through Music - Bay Area)?
- How does ETM-Bay Area decide which schools will be chosen as partner schools for its programs?
- What are ETM-Bay Area's objectives?
- How does ETM-Bay Area bring music education to partner schools?
- How does ETM-Bay Area support learning in other academic subjects?
- How is ETM-Bay Area program unique?
- What are the benefits of music education?
- How can I learn more about ETM-Bay Area?
Q: What is ETM-Bay Area (Education Through Music-Bay Area)?
A: Founded in 2008, ETM-Bay Area is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that promotes and supports music instruction in schools serving disadvantaged areas in order to enhance students' academic performance and general development. It is the 2nd affiliate organization to be based on the ETM® model, which has been operating in New York since 1991 and in Los Angeles since 2006.
Since our pilot year in 2008-09 instructing all 516 students attending Peres Elementary, located in Richmond, CA, we have expanded programs in Richmond, Oakland, and San Francisco to include 2300 children at 6 schools in 2011-2012, while managing seven additional school music education programs reaching over 1,700 students through our consulting services with the Dominican Schools Music Project (DSMP).
Q: How does ETM-Bay Area decide which schools will be chosen as partner schools for its programs?
A: An ETM-Bay Area partner school must serve at-risk and economically-disadvantaged students. Typically, 90% of the students are eligible for the Federal Free or Reduced Lunch Program (based on family income), over 90% are students of color, many are English language learners, and 8% have special needs. Such a school frequently lacks the resources for a music education program but has the desire to provide music education to all students. A major part of the selection criteria is ETM-Bay Area's judgment of the commitment and capability of the school's principal. Schools that do not qualify as partner schools may be eligible to collaborate with ETM-Bay Area on a consulting basis.
Q: What are ETM-Bay Area's objectives?
A: ETM-Bay Area's ultimate goal is to ensure that every child has access to a comprehensive music education. We form partnerships with schools and create individualized plans with four objectives:
- Quality music instruction for every student.
- Providing our partner schools with qualified music teachers who receive ongoing training and support
- Involving parents, school staff, and the community in the idea that music education is essential to a child's academic growth and development.
- Ongoing assessment and evaluation.
Q: How does ETM-Bay Area bring music education to partner schools?
A: ETM-Bay Area establishes music programs and supports school reform by:
- Working with each principal to create a long-term plan of arts instruction and integration.
- Recruiting and employing music teachers to serve as faculty to provide instruction in general music, choir and instrumental ensembles.
- Providing customized training for music teachers, classroom teachers, and principals through mentoring and professional development workshops throughout the year.
- Offering workshops to parents that explain our programs and goals.
- Providing students with enrichment opportunities.
- Monitoring the progress of the program and providing feedback to the school administration.
- Guiding and assisting each school in building financial and community support.
Q: How does ETM-Bay Area support learning in other academic subjects?
A: ETM-Bay Area's music education reinforces and enhances learning by helping students make connections between music and other subjects. ETM-Bay Area trains music teachers and classroom teachers to collaborate in support of one another's curricular goals. Our music teachers plan music lessons that support cognitive thinking skills and content in academic subject areas, and classroom teachers use music as a resource to enrich scholastic lessons.
Q: How is the ETM-Bay Area program unique?
A: ETM-Bay Area takes a unique approach which is comprehensive in terms of who we serve as well as in the time commitment and frequency of our services:
- Every child receives music instruction, including those with special needs
- Music is treated as a core subject, with weekly classes throughout the year that follow skills- and standards-based curriculum and include assessment
- We involve the entire school community in developing a school culture that embraces the arts
- Principals are supported and guided in managing the music at their schools and long-term planning to sustain instruction.
Q: What are the benefits of music education?
A: Extensive research on the effects of music education shows that learning music through listening, performance, voice, and instrumental instruction improves a child's social and academic development. It has been proven that music increases a child's reading, writing, mathematical, and spatial temporal reasoning skills, and that socially, it encourages self-discipline, respect and understanding of others, and aids in a child's general development.
Return to questions
Q: How can I learn more about ETM-Bay Area?
A: To learn more about ETM-Bay Area, contact Keri Lindell Butkevich, Executive Director, at 415-285-2149 or email info@etmbayarea.org.
Planned for 2011-12:
- Partnerships with 6 schools and consulting support to 7 additional schools serving over 4,000 children in the Bay Area!
Quotes
"The music program is a wonderful program that adds to our students’ creativity, individuality and self confidence. It also becomes an area where some students “shine” that may be struggling in other areas."
- teacher championing the benefit of a music program