Educators Circle
The VMA Educators Circle connects music teachers with opportunities for their students to perform outreach concerts, develop leadership skills, and experience the power of music as a form of community service.
Free to join for private music educators.
What Teachers Are Saying
MTNA Teacher of the Year (2024)
Steinway Top Teacher (2021, 2022)
Eastern Division Director, Music Teachers National Association (2024–2026)
Music That Gives Back
President, Massachusetts Music Teachers Association (2018–2020)
MMTA Teacher of the Year (2019–2020)
VMA introduced Ellyses Kuan to our mission of giving back through music. She was subsequently featured by The Enterprise World as “The Most Influential Music Educator to Watch in 2026” for “Building a Community Where Music Creates Leaders, Compassion, and Lasting Impact.”
Students celebrate VMA and EKS Music School’s first collaborative community performance at Braintree Public Library on November 15, 2025.
Joining a Community of Service
“Hi, I’m Ally! I’ve been teaching music for over ten years, and I love helping beginners and advanced students alike find joy in playing. My goal is to help my students build a strong, beautiful foundation on the piano while keeping our time together encouraging, warm, and pressure-free.”
What Is the Educators Circle?
The VMA Educators Circle is a volunteer network for music teachers who want to give their students more ways to lead, serve, and make a difference through music.
VMA is student-led, so young musicians can volunteer on their own, start a VMA Junior Program Club, or pursue service awards through our one-of-a-kind volunteer recognition framework. Educators help students discover these opportunities and support them along the way.
Educators Circle members receive a framed Certificate of Partnership recognizing their commitment to service through music.
Why Teachers Join
Speedy Delivery!
Invite students to join the VMA Junior Program and become part of a national community of young musicians committed to service. Every new member receives a personal VMA welcome package and recognition from VMA. And there’s no fee to join!
Meaningful Performance Opportunities
Exploring performance through the VMA Junior Program can open meaningful opportunities beyond formal recitals and competitions. Students can discover new places, audiences, and reasons to perform.
Leadership & Service
As students grow, they can start VMA Junior Program Clubs, organize service projects, fundraise for charitable initiatives, and take on VMA leadership roles. High school students can also join free monthly leadership workshops and help shape VMA through Student Government.
National Service Recognition
Students can pursue Bronze, Silver, and Gold service awards recognizing their musical service and leadership. Partnerships with Steinway & Sons, M. Steinert & Sons, and AmeriCorps strengthen VMA’s national recognition framework and give students a meaningful record of service and leadership for their academic and college applications.
How It Works
Introduce Students to VMA
Invite your students to join the VMA Junior Program. Families are encouraged to schedule a free virtual orientation to learn how VMA's three pillars of service, stewardship, and leadership can become a meaningful part of their child’s musical journey—at any age.
Students Perform Outreach Concerts
For elementary students especially, an assisted living concert is a great place to start. As they grow older, students can take on more independence—organizing their own performances, traveling to venues, starting VMA Junior Program Clubs, and leading service projects.
Teachers Verify Participation
For students seeking volunteer service hours, our streamlined verification process provides a simple, equitable way for classically trained musicians to receive recognition. Teachers verify lessons and practice through an online form that takes just a few minutes to complete, while the teacher or family provides documentation of the student’s service.
Students Grow as Leaders
VMA makes service part of a student’s musical journey from an early age. By high school, volunteerism is more than an extracurricular or graduation requirement—it’s part of how they live, creating an authentic record of community impact that can speak for itself on a college application. VMA students have gone on to top-tier universities from New England to Texas, California, and Canada.
Help Your Students
Turn Music Into Service
The VMA Educator Outreach Grant helps music educators create meaningful opportunities for their students to share their musical talents in service to their communities.
Grants may support student-led concerts in assisted living communities, libraries, community gathering spaces, and other settings where live music can make a meaningful difference.
Give your students the opportunity to discover that their music can do more than be heard — it can serve others.
Learn More & Apply
Join the Educators Circle
Since 2012, VMA has been giving everyone orchestra seats. Now, we need the next generation to step up—and our Junior Program is our answer. Teachers bring us closer to creating meaningful, lasting change.
Founded by teachers, we understand the demands of teaching and have designed our outreach framework to be accessible, practical, and enriching for your students as musicians and as members of a shared humanity.
Join the VMA Educators Circle, and let’s lead by example.
If you are interested in community outreach and more opportunities for performance during the year, I would highly recommend the Junior Program at the Volunteer Musicians for the Arts.
Interested in joining VMA as an educator?
Please share a bit of information below, and our team will reach out shortly. We can’t wait to connect!