Music Will—Largest Non-Profit Music Program In U.S. Public Schools—Names Dr. Bryan Powell Chief Program Officer
August 4th, 2023---Music Will, the acclaimed non-profit organization transforming young lives through multi-genre music programs, today announced the appointment of Dr. Bryan Powell to Chief Program Officer (CPO). Dr. Powell’s broad range of music education experience includes recent positions at Music Will, as both its Senior Director of Programs and Director of Higher Education.
In his new role, Dr. Powell will lead the strategic vision for programs now reaching more than 640,000 students nationwide. He will oversee professional development initiatives for teachers and continue engagement with the higher education community. Furthering Music Will's dedication to inclusive, immersive, and student-centered education, he will expand the organization’s reach to meet students where they are—including community centers and after-school programs—and explore new collaborations with other youth development programs.
Music Will Interim CEO Janice Polizzotto said, “Bryan has a potent mix of passion, experience, and professional knowledge that will impact the formation and continued growth of our programs. Through his previous contributions to our organization, he gained a deep understanding of our mission for meaningful change in music education, and we’re excited that he’s taking on this essential and much deserved leadership role.”
Dr. Bryan Powell said, “I am honored to accept the position of Chief Program Officer at Music Will. Since I joined this organization in 2014, it has been my privilege to work alongside its devoted team, empowering music teachers and expanding access to culturally relevant music participation for more students. Music Will’s mission aligns with my passion for relevant music education, and I look forward to this new chapter at a great organization.”
About Dr. Bryan Powell
Dr. Bryan Powell previously worked at Music Will both as the Senior Director of Programs and Director of Higher Education. He also served as the Director of Programs for Amp Up NYC, a partnership between Berklee College of Music and Little Kids Rock (former name of Music Will). Earlier, Powell was a NYC public school music teacher, and continues his roles as an Assistant Professor of Music Education and Music Technology and Coordinator for the Recording Arts and Production degree at Montclair State University.
Dr. Powell is a widely published researcher and scholar who has contributed to the Journal of Popular Music Education, co-authored Popular Music Pedagogies: A Practical Guide for Music Teachers (Routledge), and edited The Modern Band Handbook. He was the co-director of the 2022 National Association for Music Education (NAfME) All-National Honor Ensemble for Modern Band, and co-director for the 2023 NAfME All-Eastern Division Honor Ensemble for Modern Band. Since 2013, he has served as the Executive Director of the Association for Popular Music Education and is a former Chair for the NAfME Popular Music Education Special Research Interest Group. Dr. Powell earned his Bachelor of Music degree at Pepperdine University, a master’s degree in teaching at Chapman University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts degree at Boston University.
About Music Will
Music Will runs the largest nonprofit music program in the U.S. public school system. Its teachers currently serve over 500,000 students in more than 600 cities and towns across the country. They believe that music education is a right, not a privilege, and it should reflect the cultures of the students it serves. That’s why, for two decades now, their programs have taught students such popular American genres as rock, pop, R&B, Latin, rap and country—alongside styles already taught in schools, such as classical and jazz. Today, a national network of K-12 districts has adopted the Music Will program as their own. Additionally, more than 70 colleges and universities now use their approach to music education majors. Several state departments of education have partnered with Music Will to grow music education in the schools they serve. Its mission of transforming lives by transforming music education has grown into a movement.
Music Will began as an informal effort by former Palo Alto school teacher, Dave Wish, who was frustrated by the lack of music programming in his school. Borrowing from friends and scouring area flea markets for instruments, he began offering free guitar classes after school using the popular music the students wanted to play. Many school teachers in Dave’s area were inspired by his program’s incredible impact, so he began offering training to help them start their own music classes. He coined the term "modern band" to describe his unique curriculum, later publishing Modern Band Method textbooks with Hal Leonard. Dave left the classroom in 2002 to found “Little Kids Rock,” the nonprofit that became Music Will in 2022. In 2023, Dave took on the new role of Chief Visionary Officer, focusing on strategy and organizational evangelism.