We call for a national mobilization in support of an active music life for all city students. We call on stakeholders to pursue equity in music opportunities so that children in every city school are afforded this fundamental right.
We encourage you to critically examine your own city’s commitment to equity in music, using this declaration as a framework. Read each section through the lens of your own community. Do all students have access to an active music life? Who is part of the local music ecosystem? What needs are being met, and what needs are as yet unmet?
Because America’s cities are as diverse as their populations, there is no one-size-fits-all, national solution in addressing the present and persistent challenge of inequity in music. Each city ecosystem is unique, and there will be many models that can ensure access to an active music life for every student. It is up to each locality to determine its best way forward, crafting solutions with distinct implementation strategies. Each community should chart its own course based on its specific culture, participants, history, and needs.
The most important step is action. Now is the time to create infrastructures that will provide an active music life to every city student. This is happening in a number of cities already, and we are excited and encouraged by the schools, districts, partnerships, and teachers that are already working for equity in music for their students. We hope you will join—or begin—this process in your own city.