La Tradición Music

08/07/2026

Some good news: some municipalities are actively prioritizing the arts that federal funding is not. In this story, city leaders directed $189,000 in ARPA funds to expand music therapy programs in their local schools. When we believe in the power of music and invest in it at the local level, our students can thrive!

Read the full story here:

A new grant will help expand access to music therapy services to students throughout Genesee County and the surrounding region.

08/01/2026

Music educators teach so much more than just music- beyond the performances, ensembles provide vital hubs of culture, discipline, and belonging. For students that feel lost in a traditional classroom, music programs provide them an opportunity to find their voice- and for mariachi programs, where they can find their heritage and their family.

To read a great reminder of why music educators' work matters so much, read the article here:

In Malta and Gozo, band clubs are woven into the fabric of local life. For many people, they are associated primarily with the village festa: the marches, the music, the decorations and the sense of

07/31/2026

For our friends in the Houston area, we wanted to share about an opening premier music school: Gramercy Music Academy! Located in West University, it was opened to provide deep, performance-based, real-world music education to build genuine confidence in kids.

The best part: to celebrate their grand opening, they are offering FREE trial lessons for a limited time! Learn more by attending their Open House on August 8th from 12p-2p.

Read more here:

Home News PR Newswire Gramercy Music Academy Opens in Houston - Built by the Team Behind One of the Nation's Largest Youth Art and Enrichment Platforms Gramercy Music Academy Opens in Houston - Built by the Team Behind One of the Nation's Largest Youth Art and Enrichment Platforms Provided by PR New...

07/29/2026

We always get excited when we see mariachi growing in popularity in new states, and we wanted to share how Wichita, Kansas has hosted its first ever Mariachi Camp! The popular camp had four days of intensive sessions to learn new pieces to perform at a concert performance that wrapped the event, and it provided inspiration to the students from the three middle schools that currently offer mariachi classes.

Read about the camp and the kids that are more enthusiastic than ever here:

A recent mariachi camp is part of a larger growth pattern of mariachi programs in middle schools across the city.

07/18/2026

This month, the US Dept of Education is rolling out a new accountability test: If an undergraduate program's graduates don't earn more than workers who never went to college, that program could be cut off from federal student loans. This 'do no harm' test can actually end up harming society as a whole, and was summed up well in this article:
"We don't know how many artists we need, but I can guarantee that if you eliminate access, we will impoverish our cultural life nationally."

With music program from some of the most prestigious music programs failing the new earning test (Julliard, New England Conservatory, and Jacobs School of Music), this means that anyone seeking a career as a music educator may not have the same access to current educators.

The best way to combat this suffocating policy changes? Grassroots advocacy and classroom-level encouragement. Consider joining advocacy groups like NAfME, NAMM, SNAAP- and contact representatives sharing your real world stories. Bring this up at local school boards, PTA meetings, and with booster clubs. Make parents and local leaders aware that future teachers might be priced out of their degrees.

The best way to encourage these kind of policies? Keep quiet.

Read more about one mariachi director in Oregon's fight against these policies here:

If an undergraduate program's graduates don't earn more than workers who never went to college, that program could be cut off from federal student loans. But is a degree just about making more money?

07/16/2026

With there being plenty to spark outrage, fear, and controversy in the world we wanted to share a win for all fans of music.

China's Ministry of Education has added art therapy to their undergraduate program catalog, and the Wuhan Conservatory of Music is quickly becoming the country's leading institution in cultivating music therapy.

This means China, a country that heavily prioritizes efficiency and contributions to society, has seen the value of the provision of nonverbal channels for emotional expression, cognitive development, behavioral guidance, and holistic rehabilitation!

Kinda makes you wish other countries would take notice, huh?

Read more here:

As China expands interdisciplinary education by adding art therapy to the Ministry of Education's 2026 undergraduate program catalog, the Wuhan Conservatory of Music in Hubei province is emerging as one of the country's leading institutions in cultivating music therapy professionals through an innov...

07/15/2026

A fascinating study has shared the secret to having a music program where students are fiercely motivated and families are deeply involved: start a mariachi program!

Oh wait- no, that's what we know from past experience.

The study actually shares how collaborative music-making breaks down traditional classroom hierarchies, with peer-to-peer learning drastically boosting students well-being, agency, and cross-cultural family inclusion. Meaning letting students lead rehearsal sessions is scientifically proven to be key for building resilience and community.

To read more about how "shared agency" transforms music programs here:

07/12/2026

We Are Instrumental (WAI) is a nonprofit dedicated to provide community-led music education to students that attend rural school districts across Northern New York. They have recently expanded their programs that help supplement communities effected by limited travel routes and limited budgets, using underutilized resources such as shared responsibilities within each local community, practical resources, and local ownership.

Something that might benefit our music educator readers: they have students involved participate as Repair Captains that care for schools' inventory of instruments!

Read more about the nonprofit here:

We Are Instrumental announces the expansion of its regional music programs to help support rural Northern New York schools facing geographic and...

07/10/2026

A recent study from Paderborn University has shown that earworms can be repurposed to help students retain information for long term learning- and even trigger a boost in emotional well-being. The study was done for a recent dissertation, and has scientifically proven what music educators already know: singing for vocabulary retention not only works, but improves emotional health.

Read the study here:

Can pop songs help with learning vocabulary? And what role does the ‘earworm’ phenomenon play in this?

07/09/2026

It's easy to feel like our voices can get lost in the crowd, but one music educator has recently taken up the fight for arts education straight to Capitol Hill to push for the federal funding that music programs desperately need while proposed legislation is on the docket for major representatives.

Don't be afraid to make some noise and use your own voice to share your perspective- you never know where your advocacy could lead you!

To read more about the conversation in DC, the story is here:

A local music educator recently got the opportunity to advocate for federal funding to help advance music education.