In conversation with Sharp Notes podcast host Evan Toth, Kaufman Music Center President & CEO Anthony Mazzocchi explains why music in the classroom is so essential, and how it can transform lives. Watch or listen now
While everyone agrees that music and the arts are important, they’re often first to be cut when public schools tighten their budgets. Mazzocchi argues that music belongs in the core curriculum, not as a luxury “extra.” Deeply integrating music into education transforms learning by building empathy, community, human connection, collaboration and listening as well as academic and artistic excellence. Everyone is musical, Mazzocchi explains. What’s missing often isn’t talent, but opportunity. He rejects the myth that only “talented” kids can succeed musically and argues that with access and time, nearly any child can learn and grow musically. A public-school model infused with intensive music education, like Kaufman Music Center’s Special Music School, can produce both artistic and academic excellence for students from all backgrounds. If we give music real support, time and resources, it becomes a force for equity and transformation.
