01/19/2026
Of course we had to hop on the 2016 trend! Before the events, workshops, or community programs, IAH Studio had one focus: make high-quality, culturally rooted music learning something every student could pursue, excel and feel they belong in.
Back then, the data already showed the gap. A 2016 NAEP Arts Report Card found 1 in 3 eighth-graders had no school-based music class. By 2019, 3.6 million public school students still lacked access to music education, even though ESSA (Every Student Succeeds Act) names music as part of a well-rounded education. (Source: Arts Education Data Project – AEDP)
And access alone wasn’t enough. Too many students—especially in underfunded districts and majority Black and Brown communities—were still missing quality instruction, culturally relevant repertoire, and teachers who reflected their experience.
In 2016, we saw not just what was missing… but what could be different. That conviction became our foundation.
Ten years later, we’re still here—still building, still teaching, still expanding. As they say, It’s a marathon, not a sprint! 🙌🏾💪🏾🎻✨
