Northwest Music Mentors creates partnerships between music educators and professional musicians, providing students with focused instruction in group settings.
Current Highlights
As the calendar year draws to a close, we’ve increased our programming in the Highline School District, and as a result have delivered mentoring sessions to over 180 student in seven schools! 13 mentors are working with students on nearly every instrument offered within their music curriculum, and we expect that even more students will participate as we move into the new year.
Welcome to the New School Year
The new school year brings new opportunities, and we’re excited to announce a grant awarded by the Highline School District! The grant, part of the Federal Elementary and Secondary School Emergency Relief Fund, provides much needed funding to bring additional mentors to Evergreen High, Highline High, and Glacier Middle schools. We will also continue with existing mentoring at Tyee High, Chinook Middle and Pacific Middle schools as part of this award, increasing the number of mentors working with students at each of these schools.
With these new mentoring opportunities we now have 13 active mentors in the district, working with students on trumpet, trombone, euphonium, French horn, flute, clarinet, saxophone, violin, viola, cello, upright bass, piano, and percussion.
Ongoing Challenges
The reduction of overall student enrollment since the return to in-person instruction has resulted in many school districts facing difficult choices, and music and the arts are at risk at many schools throughout the state. With these changes on the horizon, Northwest Music Mentors has been working with music teachers to determine how we can best support their programs in the upcoming years. As the availability of music classes declines and part time instructor contracts are not renewed, it’s more important than ever that school music programs have assistance from organizations like ours to help maintain enrollment and encourage students to continue their study of music throughout their time in school — and beyond.
We are evaluating several options, including changes to how each mentor is assigned throughout the year and how we can provide support for after school music clubs to help maintain participation in music. With upcoming curriculum changes, your support is more important than ever as we continue to add value to music classes for students and their parents, helping to make the experience of playing in an ensemble enjoyable, fulfilling, and something every student can participate in.
Thanks again for all of your help. This has been a tremendous help to our program.
Christopher Jones, Chinook Middle School
Your Donation Makes a Difference
$70 funds a single mentoring session.
$80 funds a master class presentation.
$250 provides a classroom with a mentor for a full quarter/semester.
$1000 places a mentor in a classroom for the entire school year.
We thank you for your past and continued support, and the difference it makes for the students participating in our programs. We believe music programs are important in the development of our young people, and during these extraordinary times your support is even more critical to ensure that students remain active and engaged in their pursuit of music, as well as in their overall participation in academic studies.
If your company offers matching funds for your charitable gifts, you can donate to us through your workplace to maximize your contribution, or submit your donation receipt to your company to qualify for a corporate match.
Call for Mentors
We anticipate expanding our programs in South King County and Tacoma in the upcoming school year. Our focus has been in the Highline School District, but we will be looking to offer our programs to other schools in these regions.
If you have experience teaching music, have flexibility in your daytime schedule and would be able to work in these areas fill out our contact form and we will be in touch with you!
The Mentorship Difference
Many music students do not have access to after school programs or private lessons. In our programs, mentors work with students in break-out sectionals during classroom hours. Mentors focus on material designated by their music director, further developing students’ musicianship by helping them improve their skills, increase their level of participation and overall enjoyment of performing music.
Our programs match mentors with students on the same instrument or family of instruments. Each mentor works with students when they first begin to play or join an ensemble, and continues to work with them as they move to the next level of their education – middle school or junior high, then to high school, through the end of secondary education, providing additional instruction and guidance during each step of their journey as a musician, and helping to answer the question “What’s next?”
If you’d like to donate, just click the button above to donate through PayPal. To join in the discussion of supporting music in schools, visit and follow us on Facebook – we’d love to hear from you and find out how we can make a difference in your community!