Foundation reached thousands of students at 80 schools nationwide throughout the year
LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESS Newswire / July 22, 2026 / Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation, a nonprofit organization that provides instruments to underfunded music education programs at public schools across the country, continued its mission of creating opportunities for students to participate in music education. During the 2025-26 school year, Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation donated more than 1,700 musical instruments with a total value of $2.2 million to 80 school music programs across the United States. These donations will provide thousands of young people with opportunities to experience the educational, social and personal benefits of music.
This support helps schools build and strengthen music programs by replacing aging or unusable instruments, expanding classroom inventories and ensuring more students have the opportunity to participate in band, orchestra and other music education programs regardless of financial circumstances.
“Every child deserves the opportunity to experience the power of music, regardless of their school’s resources or their family’s financial circumstances,” said Tricia Williams, President and CEO of the Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation. “Music changes lives, but it begins with access. Every instrument we provide removes a barrier and opens the door to creativity, confidence, self-expression and opportunities that can last a lifetime. We are grateful to our donors, school districts and music educators who make it possible for thousands of students to experience the many benefits of music education each year.”
Many of the instrument donations were made possible by grants from nonprofit foundations including the NAMM Foundation, The Music Man Foundation, the Country Music Association Foundation, S. Mark Taper Foundation, Ella Fitzgerald Foundation and a bequest from legendary musician Eddie Van Halen.
Throughout the school year, Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation worked with school districts and music educators to identify programs with the greatest need. Instrument grants were awarded to schools serving diverse communities where limited budgets often make it difficult or impossible to replace aging equipment or meet growing student demand.
A growing body of research continues to demonstrate the importance of music education. Students who participate in school music programs often show improved academic performance, stronger attendance, enhanced social-emotional development and increased engagement in school. Music also helps foster creativity, collaboration, critical thinking and self-confidence, skills that benefit students throughout their lives.
Since its founding, Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation has worked to remove financial barriers that prevent students from participating in music education. By partnering with school districts, music retailers, manufacturers, donors and community organizations, the Foundation has helped thousands of music programs remain vibrant despite ongoing budget pressures.
As schools continue to face financial challenges, Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation remains committed to ensuring every child has the opportunity to experience the transformative power of music.
Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation supports music education by providing vital support services to school districts and musical instruments to underfunded music programs nationwide, giving underrepresented youth access to the many benefits of music education. The organization was inspired by the 1995 motion picture “Mr. Holland’s Opus” and was founded by Michael Kamen, who composed the music for that movie and countless others. During the past 30 years more than 43,000 instruments valued at over $39 million have been donated to more than 2,000 schools reaching over a half million music students nationwide. More information can be found at www.mhopus.org.
Contact: Steve Honig, The Honig Company, LLC, 818-986-4300, press@honigllc.com
SOURCE: Mr. Holland’s Opus Foundation
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