Music is the most powerful tool we have for building emotional regulation.

Let’s get that message out

State-Specific Applications of EIMI

  • Alabama – aligns with Alabama’s College- and Career-Ready Standards and Whole Child initiatives

  • Alaska – supports rural and remote student engagement and culturally responsive instruction

  • Arizona – advances Arizona Arts Standards and social-emotional competencies

  • Arkansas – complements Arkansas Fine Arts Standards and student wellness goals

  • California – aligns with California Arts Standards and statewide SEL frameworks

  • Colorado – supports Colorado Academic Standards and whole-child education

  • Connecticut – reinforces Connecticut’s social, emotional, and academic learning goals

  • Delaware – aligns with Delaware’s Whole Child initiative

  • Florida – supports Florida’s Fine Arts Standards and student engagement priorities

  • Georgia – advances Georgia Standards of Excellence and student well-being

  • Hawaii – supports Nā Hopena A‘o and whole-student development

  • Idaho – aligns with Idaho Content Standards and student engagement goals

  • Illinois – reinforces Illinois SEL Standards and arts learning goals

  • Indiana – supports Indiana Academic Standards and workforce readiness

  • Iowa – aligns with Iowa Core standards and whole-child outcomes

  • Kansas – supports Kansas Education Systems Accreditation (KESA)

  • Kentucky – aligns with Kentucky Academic Standards and student wellness priorities

  • Louisiana – supports Louisiana Student Standards and arts integration

  • Maine – reinforces Maine Learning Results and whole-student development

  • Maryland – aligns with Maryland’s Fine Arts Standards and Blueprint for Education

  • Massachusetts – supports Massachusetts Arts Curriculum Frameworks and SEL priorities

  • Michigan – aligns with Michigan Arts Standards and whole-child learning

  • Minnesota – supports Minnesota Academic Standards and student engagement

  • Mississippi – reinforces Mississippi College- and Career-Readiness Standards

  • Missouri – aligns with Missouri Learning Standards and student well-being

  • Montana – supports Indian Education for All and arts standards

  • Nebraska – aligns with Nebraska Fine Arts Standards and student engagement

  • Nevada – supports Nevada Academic Content Standards and SEL initiatives

  • New Hampshire – reinforces NH Arts Education Rule and whole-child learning

  • New Jersey – aligns with New Jersey Student Learning Standards and SEL

  • New Mexico – supports culturally responsive and community-based education

  • New York – aligns with NYS Arts Learning Standards and SEL benchmarks

  • North Carolina – supports NC Standard Course of Study and whole-child education

  • North Dakota – aligns with ND Arts Standards and student engagement

  • Ohio – supports Ohio Learning Standards and student wellness initiatives

  • Oklahoma – aligns with Oklahoma Academic Standards and student development

  • Oregon – supports Oregon’s SEL Framework and arts education equity

  • Pennsylvania – aligns with PA Academic Standards and whole-child initiatives

  • Rhode Island – supports RI Arts Learning Standards and student well-being

  • South Carolina – aligns with SC College- and Career-Ready Standards

  • South Dakota – supports SD Arts Standards and student engagement

  • Tennessee – aligns with TN Fine Arts Standards and whole-child education

  • Texas – supports TEKS and student engagement outcomes

  • Utah – aligns with Utah Core Standards and student wellness

  • Vermont – supports Vermont’s proficiency-based learning framework

  • Virginia – aligns with VA Standards of Learning and SEL priorities

  • Washington – supports WA Arts Learning Standards and SEL integration

  • West Virginia – aligns with WV College- and Career-Readiness Standards

  • Wisconsin – supports WI Model Academic Standards and whole-child learning

  • Wyoming – aligns with WY Fine Arts Standards and student engagement

Raise your voice—

Write your representative today and demand bold support for music education that shapes students’ minds, hearts, and futures.

Subject: Supporting Music Education as a Core Component of Student Well-Being and Academic Success

Dear [Representative/Senator] [Last Name],

I am writing as a music educator and constituent to urge your continued support for music education as an essential component of a well-rounded public education, and a vital support for the mental health of my students.

Music education is often discussed in terms of enrichment, but current research and classroom practice show that it plays a far deeper role in students’ cognitive, emotional, and social development. Through approaches such as Emotionally Intelligent Music Instruction (EIMI), music classrooms actively support skills that are central to student success: emotional regulation, empathy, perseverance, collaboration, and self-reflection.

In our music classroom, students are not only learning musical technique—they are learning how to manage frustration, sustain focus, work productively with peers, and express complex emotions in healthy ways. These are the same competencies increasingly recognized as critical for academic achievement, mental health, and workforce readiness - inside and outside of a career in music. In other words, the skills learned in a music classroom directly and positively impact the workplace readiness and capacity for every possible field.

Music education also reaches students who may struggle in more traditional academic settings. For many learners, music provides a structured, research-supported environment in which they experience belonging, agency, and measurable growth. At a time when schools are facing rising concerns around student mental health, disengagement, and absenteeism, music programs serve as a powerful protective factor.

I respectfully ask that you support policies and funding decisions that:

  • Protect music education as a core instructional subject, not an optional enrichment

  • Ensure equitable access to music instruction across districts and communities

  • Recognize the role of arts education in supporting social-emotional learning and student well-being

Investing in music education is an investment in students’ academic outcomes, emotional resilience, and long-term success. I appreciate your time and your service, and I welcome the opportunity to share further information about how music education is making a measurable difference in classrooms today.

Sincerely,
[Your Full Name]
[Your Role / School or Organization]
[City, State]
[Email Address]

How to get EIMI Training

Let us know you sent the letter!

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