Over the past decade, there have been drastic cuts in funding for music education, particularly (but not solely) in public schools. During that same period, there has been much attention to research about the effects of arts education. Music in particular is powerful, not only culturally and emotionally, but for skills and wellbeing. In this section of our website, we summarize that research, list resources for and advocates of music education, and suggest gifts of music education for children as well as the young at heart.

The Mockingbird Foundation differs from many other players in this funding area, in many important ways:

• Nearly all relevant advocacy efforts have focused on putting instruments in public schools, promoting music education as a tool within broader education, and measuring outcomes in terms of assessable skills. Contrarily, the Mockingbird Foundation looks beyond public schools, is interested in music education for its own sake (not as therapy, for example), and is interested in some areas for which skills may be less assessable (or even irrelevant).
• Our funding guidelines define music education for children broadly and somewhat unconventionally. For example, we are interested in efforts outside of schools, including hospitals, shelters, and foster homes. We are also interested in supporting unconventional forms of instruction, and instruction in unconventional forms. And we are not focused on traditional performance skills, but are also interested in composition, vocalization, and improvisation - and we are more interested in these, which engage students with music, than in funding musical performances for students who would only observe.