Ridgeview Middle School has become the first middle school in Texas to offer United Sound, expanding access to music education for students of all abilities.
United Sound is a program supported by the nonprofit Music for All that pairs student mentors with peers in special education programs to learn to play musical instruments through adapted instruction and peer support.
For Ridgeview Director of Bands Matt Wood, the initiative reflects a core belief about music education.
“Music is a place for everyone,” Wood said. “If you want to be a part of it, we will find a role for you and make sure you have a place to belong.”
Through the program, eighth-grade band students serve as peer mentors, working in small teams to teach their mentees how to play instruments and develop musical skills.
Assistant band director Nicole Richardson said the program gives students a meaningful opportunity to apply leadership skills while helping others succeed.
“A lot of leadership classes teach the skills, but there aren’t always chances to apply them,” Richardson said. “This gives our students the opportunity to practice patience, problem-solving and encouragement in a real setting.”
Mentors collaborate on lesson plans and guide students through learning their instruments, building confidence and teamwork along the way.
Richardson said the relationships that form through the program often become just as meaningful as the music lessons.
“There was one day when both of a student’s mentors were absent, and she was very sad,” Richardson said. “It wasn’t just that she couldn’t play her instrument; she was sad because she didn’t have her friends with her.”
For many participating students and families, the experience can be especially meaningful.
Earlier this year, students performed in their first concert, a moment Richardson said was especially powerful for families watching their children play an instrument for the first time.
Eighth-grade mentor Jensen P. said the experience has been fun and rewarding.
“It’s been fun learning how to teach kids, like showing them how to hold the sticks, use mallets and play different notes,” he said. “It feels like I’m teaching someone how to do something people might think they couldn’t do.”
As the program grows, Ridgeview leaders hope to expand opportunities for students to begin learning instruments as early as sixth grade and continue developing their skills throughout middle school.
For Wood, the impact is already clear.
“Seeing the joy in these students and showing them that music can be a part of their lives… that’s what it’s all about,” Wood said.