With support from the California Arts Council, Music Is First! (MIF!) will provide core competency aligned music classes for early education, professional development for San Francisco Unified School (SFUSD) district teachers, and resources to under-resourced SFUSD public schools. With the budgetary uncertainty, district budget cuts in arts/music funding continue in Bay Area public schools. MIF! provides quality and culturally responsive music teaching and training via residencies to early education classrooms who otherwise would feel this budgeting void. Teachers can use their Prop G hours to be compensated for their time in these training sessions. In addition, Music Is First! will offer integrating programming with their teaching artists, support the program with curriculum that is culturally responsive and have modified materials for English language learners, non-verbal SDC (special day class -special education) students and all students.
Music Is First! offers a music residency model and professional development programming in both online or in-person formats. Music Is First serves San Francisco Unified School District, Jefferson Unified (Daly City) School Districts and Oakland Unified Schools, New School San Francisco, Healdsburg public schools with bilingual programming, and our online community.
Music Is First! provides resources for classroom teachers and parents to gain the confidence and skills they need to integrate music into the everyday. Whether it’s the use of our online lesson ideas, one on one consultations, site visits, teaching artist residencies, these resources can be tailored to schools, classroom, and community, because let’s be real, one size does not fit all in education. In 2023/24 Music Is First! launched their family engagement services in partnership with SFUSD, Jefferson USD, and the San Francisco Public Library to better serve the needs of our community. Interactive and educational music events will create a through-line between school, student, teacher and family. We believe every teacher, every school and every educational community is unique. As educators, you should be able to pick and choose the tools you need to foster success for all students. We partner with a variety of schools, districts and arts organizations to meet their individual needs in their exploration of music integration.

