Play for Music Education

Play for Music Education DC Teens Empowering families through music *
Transforming academics through music *
Affordable music education resources

My name is Leyao. I’m an oboist and a junior going to high school in DC. From a young age, I would always listen to clas...
10/04/2026

My name is Leyao. I’m an oboist and a junior going to high school in DC. From a young age, I would always listen to classical music on the radio, which is where my love for music began. I started my musical journey on the piano at 6 years old, and switched to the oboe in 7th grade because I wanted to play in band and orchestra.
This is my 4th year in DCYOP, and my first year in the Youth Orchestra. This summer, I was able to tour with them and perform in South Africa.
Outside of music, I also enjoy math and science, as well as painting and drawing.

Meet Mika Inoue, our most veteran volunteer at Play for Music Education! 🎻Mika has joined us on several school visits an...
09/30/2026

Meet Mika Inoue, our most veteran volunteer at Play for Music Education! 🎻

Mika has joined us on several school visits and public events in the past two years. A senior at School Without Walls HS, she spent her Saturday mornings at DC Youth Orchestra as she grew up. She has had the privilege of going on 3 international tours across Europe and South Africa with DCYOP. These experiences have helped her gain more life experience and opened more doors to possibilities for what music looks like outside of the U.S.A.

This past summer, she attended a violin academy in Berlin with Professor Judith Ingolffson, alongside students from all over the world, including Ukraine.

Thank you, Mika, for all you bring to our team! 🤍 Mika Inoue

DCYOP’s Young Virtuosi inaugural Generations Concert-celebrating 65 years of transforming young lives through music✨🎻We ...
05/13/2026

DCYOP’s Young Virtuosi inaugural Generations Concert-celebrating 65 years of transforming young lives through music✨🎻
We performed kingside special guest DR. Chris Royal, a DCYOP Alum, Board Member, Howard University Professor and accomplished professional trumpet player.
So grateful to be part of this legacy and to share the stage with living proof of what’s possible when you invest in young musicians 💫

Today is a day to celebrate the incredible work our moms, Menchu & Stela, do behind the scenes every single da —the work...
05/10/2026

Today is a day to celebrate the incredible work our moms, Menchu & Stela, do behind the scenes every single da —the work that so many people never get to see, but never goes unnoticed by us. From the constant support and encouragement to everything they do to help make our events and opportunities possible, we truly could not do this without them. Happy Mother’s Day from Play for Music Education 🤍

A few weeks ago, we brought our Play for Music Education Initiative to the amazing students at John Lewis Elementary! 🎶✨...
04/23/2026

A few weeks ago, we brought our Play for Music Education Initiative to the amazing students at John Lewis Elementary! 🎶✨

We introduced our instruments, shared fun facts, and played a games where students guessed emotions expressed through music. Their imaginations stole the show:

“This literally makes me feel like I’m skipping down a hill at sunset.” 🌄
“This sounds like something you’d play for a ballerina.” 🩰

The room was buzzing with curiosity, laughter, and endless questions — plus a few encore requests, of course 😄

Huge thanks to Ms. Joanna Ramirez and for making this joyful experience possible.

04/14/2026

Every parent of a young musician has heard it at least once: I want to quit. 🎶 Swipe through to learn how you can help your child push through — because the kids who stick with it are glad they did. More resources for parents at our website. 🔗 Link in bio.

Closing out Music in Our Schools Month with a full heart. 💙 To every teacher, conductor, chamber coach, and masterclass ...
04/01/2026

Closing out Music in Our Schools Month with a full heart. 💙 To every teacher, conductor, chamber coach, and masterclass artist who has been part of our musical story , whether for years, a summer, or just an afternoon - your impact runs deeper than you know. To those who taught us to play the first notes, those who refused to let the music stop during the pandemic and kept teaching through Zoom or outdoors, and those who support us now on stage - THANK YOU!
Thank you for showing up, sharing your gift, and keeping the music going in our lives.

If you saw our last post, you know where we just came from.We are grateful to Senator Booker’s office and especially, Dr...
03/23/2026

If you saw our last post, you know where we just came from.

We are grateful to Senator Booker’s office and especially, Dr. Juan Rios, for making space for two DC public high school students to come in and make our case. And our case was specific: DC residents need this bill more than anyone.

Most states have elected officials who can be held accountable for what happens to arts funding in their schools. DC families pay the same federal taxes but have no voting representation in Congress to create that pressure. That is not a criticism of our leaders; it is a structural reality. And it is exactly why federal tools like the GAAME Act matter so much here.

There is a common assumption that music competes with “real” education. The research says otherwise. Music instruction that builds progressively over time, with dedicated teachers, instruments, and a program that grows with the student, is associated with stronger math scores, improved reading, lower absenteeism, and better social-emotional outcomes. Music education is not a break from learning. It is learning. It is education.

Play for Music Education connects DC families to programs that exist outside the school system. That work matters. But our hope is that one day, no child in DC will have to leave school to access these benefits. The GAAME Act moves toward that.

Swipe to see why. Share if you want others to know.

.plays.cello

MusicIsEducation PlayForMusicEducation

03/22/2026

We just came out of orchestra and if you support music education, there’s a bill in Congress right now you need to hear about.
We’re two teens who had to go outside the school system to get the music education we have. We both started at at age 5. Most DC families never know they can do that. That’s why we started , to connect DC families to programs that exist outside the school system. But connecting families to what exists doesn’t fix what the system delivers.
So we went to Capitol Hill. It’s Music in Our Schools Month and we wanted to do more than post about it.
Senator Booker, Rep. Velázquez, and Rep. Frost just reintroduced the GAAME Act. If passed, it would bring music programs into Title I schools; the kind with a dedicated teacher, instruments, and instruction that builds year over year. That’s what produces the academic and social-emotional benefits. DC kids deserve that at school, not just outside it.
👉 DC residents: Delegate Eleanor Holmes Norton is a co-sponsor. Let her office know you’re behind it.
👉 Everyone else: Contact your representative and ask them to support the GAAME Act.
www.playformusiceducation.org/advocacy


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