Music education improves grades, graduation rates and critical thinking, but it’s not available to five million American children. That’s why Lead Guitar builds free guitar ensemble classes in partnership with neighborhood schools nationwide. Daily mentorship, classroom connections with global artists, and college campus experiences empower students to grow academically, socially, and emotionally.

Lead Guitar’s vision is to engage every learner with an instrument that appeals across genres and generations, using music from a broad range of traditions, and differentiated materials like Adaptive and Spanish-language curricula. We focus resources on children with the least access to arts education by collaborating with schools where 80% or more of students are eligible for Free or Reduced-Price Lunch. We value equal access to education as the underpinning of a free society.

At Lead Guitar, we are expanding access to music learning while modeling excellence, inclusion, and accountability. Our Teaching Artists use a proprietary curriculum that follows a comprehensive pedagogical method, yet has the flexibility to adapt to students’ needs. Through our co-teaching model, we teach thousands of students to play and dozens of teachers to teach guitar each year.

While we believe in the power of learning and making music for music’s sake, we understand that music and the mentorship and ancillary skills it brings can provide impetus for students to change their personal narrative, develop growth mind-set, and find additional pathways out of poverty. Lead Guitar participants not only experience the joy of music-making, they develop discipline, self-esteem, and teamwork skills–attributes that help them realize success throughout their lives–and connect with adults and peers around a positive common goal.