Music National Service
Music National Service (MNS) is a national nonprofit organization that supports music as a strategy for public good through direct programs, public advocacy and leadership development. In 2008, MNS was named “1 of 10 nonprofit innovations that will strengthen U.S. communities” by the Aspen Institute. MNS is widely credited with inspiring the inclusion of musicians and artists in the bipartisan, federal Kennedy Serve America Act of 2010.
MusicianCorps, MNS’s flagship program, trains and places musicians to serve full-time as teachers and mentors in low-performing public schools, youth centers and other high-need community settings. MusicianCorps uses music to reengage youth in their academic and civic lives, and provide them critical skills for success in the 21st century.
The program recently completed a year-long pilot in Chicago, New Orleans, Oakland, San Francisco and Seattle, where it provided ongoing music instruction to over 3,600 children and youth in public schools, afterschool programs and wellness settings. The program also reached over 7,000 community members through 175 public events and the creation of 62 recording projects and bands.