A fundraising film about the pathways music education creates—from a child's first lesson to confidence, belonging, and futures filled with possibility.
Oakland Symphony's MUSE program is about much more than learning an instrument. The film follows students, parents, teachers, and an alumnus to show how sustained access to music education can shape the way young people see themselves and what they imagine for their future.
When Oakland Symphony asked me to tell the story of MUSE, I kept coming back to the students themselves. You can describe a program through enrollment numbers, concerts, and accomplishments, but the real story is in the kids: the nervousness of starting something new, the pride when they begin to get it, the relationships they build, and the confidence that starts to show up beyond the music room.
One former MUSE student, Cassie, makes that especially clear. Years after participating in the program, she is now completing a Ph.D. in Metabolic Biology at UC Berkeley. She talks about the discipline, collaboration, and confidence she developed through music—and how those lessons stayed with her long after she left the program.
I wanted the film to stay close to those lived experiences. Young instrumentalists talk about the excitement of learning an instrument for the first time. Parents describe watching their children grow in confidence. Teachers talk about mentorship, consistency, and access.
Together, their stories show how music education can become part of something much larger: a place to belong, a reason to keep working when something is difficult, and a way for young people to discover what they’re capable of.
As a musician and educator, this part of the story is personal for me. I’ve seen how learning music can change the way a young person carries themselves—how they listen, work with others, deal with frustration, and build confidence.
MUSE gives young people musical training, but the effects can reach far beyond the music itself. For some students, it becomes part of the pathway toward a future they may not have imagined yet.
If your organization has a story that's making a difference, I'd love to hear it.