Education Through Music-Los Angeles

What Education Through Music-Los Angeles does

Education Through Music-Los Angeles (ETM-LA), legally ETM-LA, Inc., is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 2006 by Executive Director Victoria Lanier and headquartered in Burbank, California. The organization partners with under-resourced Title 1 elementary and middle schools across Los Angeles County to deliver yearlong, sequential, culturally responsive music instruction as a core subject (not an extracurricular), serving 18,000+ students annually across 41 schools in 5 school districts and impacting over 150,000 children since inception. Its service model combines trained teacher placement, a proprietary skills-based curriculum aligned with state benchmarks, instrument provision, a paid Music Teacher Internship pipeline, 100+ hours of annual professional development, and school sustainability programming via the Principal's Leadership Conference and Parent & Community Workshops.

ETM-LA's core 'technology' is its curriculum and operating playbook — skills-based, sequential, culturally responsive pedagogy supported by Music Teacher Mentors (Mentor I and II roles) and Instructional Supervisors. It does not operate an app, API, or software product; service delivery is in-person. The organization is an independent affiliate based on the Education Through Music (ETM) model originating in New York (founded 1991).

Revenue is generated entirely from philanthropic sources, with no product/service fees charged to schools (ETM-LA subsidizes programs starting at 50% in year 1). Streams include individual donations (tiered from $14/month student sponsorship to $10,000+ school adoption, plus the Soundtrack recurring donor program at $60-$5,000 annually), foundation and corporate grants (Perenchio Foundation as flagship multi-year anchor; plus Music Man Foundation, ASCAP, D'Addario Foundation, Heads Up Youth Foundation, Mockingbird Foundation), government grants (LA County Arts, California Arts Council, City of LA Department of Cultural Affairs), in-kind instrument and supply donations, and the annual Benefit Gala which raised over $500,000 in January 2026. Celebrity Champions including Carlos Santana, Diane Warren, Ed Helms, Kristen Bell, and Christophe Beck support fundraising and visibility.

Name

Education Through Music-Los Angeles

Legal name

ETM-LA, Inc.

Website

https://etmla.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Education Through Music-Los Angeles is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 2006 that places trained music teachers and delivers yearlong, culturally responsive music instruction as a core subject in under-resourced Title 1 schools across Los Angeles County, serving 18,000+ students annually across 41 schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Music Education Services

NAICS

Fine Arts Schools (611610)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Music Schools & Conservatory Prep (Pre-College) (EDAMANAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Music Instruction (Instrumental & Vocal) (EDAMAAAE), Early Childhood Music Education (Ages 0–7) (EDAMANAD)

Keywords

• Music education services
• Arts education programs
• School music instruction
• Music teacher training
• Nonprofit music programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Burbank

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Recurring and one-time donations from individual donors through various programs including Soundtrack recurring donor program and one-time gifts at various levels ($14-$2,500+)
2. Annual Benefit Gala: Major fundraising event that raised over $500,000 in 2026, honoring individuals and organizations supporting music education
3. Foundation & Corporate Grants: Multi-year general operating support grants from foundations like Perenchio Foundation, plus corporate partnerships for sponsorship and in-kind donations
4. Government Grants: Support from LA County Arts, California Arts Council, City of LA Culture Dept providing operational funding
5. In-Kind Donations: Instruments and music supplies donated by corporate partners and individuals

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Education Through Music-Los Angeles (ETM-LA) partners with under-resourced Title I elementary and middle schools across Los Angeles County to deliver year-long, sequential, culturally responsive music instruction as a core (not extracurricular) subject. It places trained music teachers in partner schools, supplies instruments and curriculum, and provides wraparound professional development (100+ hours annually), principal leadership support, and parent/community workshops to build sustainable in-school music programs.

Product overview

Education Through Music-Los Angeles (ETM-LA) operates as a nonprofit organization providing comprehensive music education programs rather than a technology product. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on in-school music instruction as a core subject for all children. Core offerings include the Comprehensive Music Program delivering year-long sequential music education, the Summer Music Program for skill exploration, Ensemble Classes (Choir, Band, Orchestra, Orff, Modern Band), and the annual Music Unites the World Festival. Supporting infrastructure includes the Music Teacher Internship Program for teacher development, Professional Development with over 100 hours of annual training, Principal's Leadership Conference for school administrator engagement, and Parent & Community Workshops. The Soundtrack recurring donor program provides sustainable funding. All programs work together to achieve ETM-LA's mission of providing quality music education to under-resourced schools in Los Angeles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Comprehensive Music Program
• Summer Music Program
• Ensemble Classes
• Music Teacher Internship Program
• Professional Development

Quantifiable outcome

• 76% of ETM-LA students liked school more (vs 42% without ETM-LA)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Diane WarrenflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2026Legendary songwriter honored at ETM-LA's 20th Year Benefit Gala. Warren has been relentless about music education advocacy.
• Sonic Fuel StudioscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2026Honored as Shining Star Corporate Partner at ETM-LA's 20th Year Benefit Gala for contributions to music education.
• Ryan GonzalescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 January 2026Music educator honored as Shining Star Music Educator at ETM-LA's 20th Year Benefit Gala.
• CREATE CAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCalifornia Arts Education Data Project providing research and advocacy for arts education.
• Ed HelmscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory board member and advocate who inspired custom banjo for Giving Tuesday fundraiser.
• Kristen BellflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerActress who reunited with Frozen composer Christophe Beck to support ETM-LA programs.
• Christophe BeckflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrozen composer who partnered with Kristen Bell to make music education a reality for students.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• VH1 Save The Music Foundation: VH1 Save The Music Foundation is a national nonprofit that partners with school districts to build sustainable music programs in under-resourced public schools. It is directly comparable to ETM-LA in mission, beneficiary focus, and instrument-and-curriculum delivery model.
• Education Through Music (ETM): ETM is the parent-model nonprofit founded in 1991 in New York that ETM-LA replicated in Los Angeles. Both organizations share the same yearlong, sequential, culturally responsive in-school music instruction model targeting under-resourced Title 1 schools, and ETM-LA is explicitly ETM's first independent affiliate.
• Little Kids Rock: Little Kids Rock is a national nonprofit that provides free music instruction and instruments to under-resourced public schools, with a focus on Modern Band and culturally responsive teaching. It directly competes with ETM-LA for the same Title 1 school partnerships, teacher talent, and donor base.
• Berklee City Music Network: Berklee City Music is Berklee's nonprofit initiative providing music education, scholarships, and performance opportunities to underserved youth through a national network of partner sites. It mirrors ETM-LA's sequential instruction and teacher-development approach while operating at broader geographic scale.
• Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation: Mr. Holland's Opus Foundation donates musical instruments and supports music education programs in under-resourced K-12 schools nationwide. It overlaps with ETM-LA on the instrument-donation, school-partnership, and donor-acquisition dimensions, serving a closely comparable beneficiary population.
• The Harmony Project: The Harmony Project provides yearlong music mentorship and ensemble-based instruction to students from low-income communities in Los Angeles. It is a direct LA-based peer competing for the same student population, school sites, and foundation grants as ETM-LA.

Regional players

• Inner-City Arts: Inner-City Arts is a Los Angeles-based nonprofit providing arts education, including music, to under-resourced students. It competes with ETM-LA for LA students, foundation funding, and district relationships, but its model is more center-based rather than in-school delivery.

Others

• D'Addario Foundation: The D'Addario Foundation is a music industry nonprofit that supports music education and provides instrument donations to underserved programs, including ETM-LA. It is an enabling partner and donor rather than a direct competitor, but its beneficiary programs overlap with ETM-LA's target schools.

Emerging players

• Music National Service Initiative: Music National Service is an advocacy and program nonprofit focused on expanding music education access through service and AmeriCorps-style programs. It is thematically aligned with ETM-LA's mission to address the music teacher shortage and expand access in under-resourced schools.

Broad incumbents

• Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute: Carnegie Hall's Weill Music Institute runs major national music education programs, professional development for educators, and school partnerships. It overlaps with ETM-LA's teacher-training and in-school program work but operates at much larger institutional scale and is not LA-focused.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ETMLosAngeles
• YouTubeyoutube.com/etmla
• Facebookfacebook.com/etmla
• Instagraminstagram.com/etmla

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Education Through Music-Los Angeles