Setting the Stage: Pathways to Music Industry through Music Education
- SoundTree
- Sep 30
- 9 min read
Dr. Frank Machos Vice President & Director of the Mann Center Institute for Creative Arts and Community Impact, Philadelphia, PA
The music that students create in many of today’s classrooms looks a lot more like the music they enjoy outside of it. For a long time, this wasn’t the case. The divide between the music taught and learned in schools, and the music consumed by mainstream America was miles apart. Over the past decade, the rise of music technology, programs utilizing popular instruments like electric guitars, keyboards/synths, and drum sets, and an emphasis on the benefits of social emotional development through music making have ushered in a new era of music education.
Since the earliest days of the arts being offered in public education, the debate of which arts, how much of it, when, and for what goal has persisted. The answers have shifted over time and are quite often guided by larger trends in education, driven by shifts in policy and largely influenced by opportunities for funding.
Bringing these ideas together, we arrive at the growing emphasis on workforce development within K-12 education and the influence and impact this has on music and arts education programs in schools. Within the arts community, some argue for preserving traditional approaches that result in a broader thinking, creative workforce, best achieved through studying a wide spectrum of arts. Others advocate for a more technical approach that results in the development of specific skills and industry certifications that lead to direct employment. I strongly suggest that we need both.
While there is no limit to the studies substantiating the benefits of learning the arts, it is critical that the data aligns to the metrics used to determine success within postsecondary readiness initiatives. At the same time, if a goal of workforce development is to provide direct paths to jobs with life-sustaining wages that promote economic mobility, then it is important that we offer music education that looks more like our modern music industry.
Trending: Workforce Development
Workforce development in K-12 education and public schools is not new, but it is trendy again! Some quick AI supported dive into the subject shows surges in interest tied to various Acts, including; 1917 (Smith-Hughes), 1963 (Vocational Education), the 90’s-2000s (transition to CTE), 2006 (Perkins), and most recently, the 2018 reauthorization of the Perkins V Act.
With the 2018 update, the conversation about postsecondary readiness quietly shifted beyond Career and Technical Education to the broader K-12 education program design. Following the global pandemic, labor shortages, skills gaps, challenges in higher education, and federal recovery elevated the conversation to the forefront of education and a number of new programs focused on job readiness have since emerged.
Across school districts, concepts and terms like career exposure, work-based learning, work-readiness, intern and externships, and competency-based learning, among others, are appearing across more subjects and in earlier grades. From my experience, none of this is new to arts education, but developing some standardized language that relates what arts educators have always done to the goals of these broader initiatives is both critical and timely. It is more important to shift language than to try and shift or design new programs.
My perspective on this work is rooted in two decades of experience within the School District of Philadelphia, first as an instrumental music teacher and for the past twelve as a central office administrator, most recently as the Executive Director for The Arts & Creative Learning. This past spring, I transitioned from that role to join the Mann Center for the Performing Arts, a non-profit performing arts center located in West Philadelphia’s historic Fairmount Park. This coincided with the launch of the Mann Center Institute for Creative Arts and Community Impact. The Institute builds on the Mann Center’s longstanding foundation of education and community initiatives, focusing on out-of-school time programs, workforce development for music and live events industries, and creative placemaking. In this role, I’ve continued supporting key initiatives with the School District while turning deeper attention to the Philadelphia music and cultural arts scene, which after decades of teaching and performing in the city, largely consists of friends, colleagues, and former students!
Grover Washington Jr. Middle School
Twenty years ago, I was entering my second year as a middle school instrumental music teacher at Grover Washington Jr. Middle School in Philadelphia. Until that time, I wasn’t sure that teaching was my lifelong career path, as aspirations of rock stardom, touring the world, and performing in front of large audiences strongly rivaled my love for the classroom!
Prior to teaching and throughout my years in college, consistent work as a saxophonist with musicians and bands from across New Jersey, Philly, and NYC, fueled a passion for performing on stage and in front of crowds. It had also proved that there were a number of viable career pathways in the music and live events industries. As I continued to pursue new opportunities and experiences, my growing network was a mix of industry veterans willing to share their knowledge and guidance, as well as friends and classmates who were rapidly beginning to achieve notable levels of success in a variety of professional roles. The possibility of a full-time career in the music industry had felt well within reach!
Little did I know at the time, but what I thought was taking shape as my path to life on a tour bus, playing arenas, and winning a GRAMMY or VMA Moonman, was in reality the foundation for which I would build programs that helped reshape the future of music education in Philly and beyond.
Accepting my first full-time teaching position was in no way a deterrent to continuing my hectic performance schedule. It was a regular occurrence to wrap a gig or rehearsal in or near NYC between 1-3 am, drive back to Philly, sleep a few hours, then be back on the bandstand at 8:30am. I was eager and excited to share my professional experiences with the talented young musicians, many of whom found the same refuge in the band room that I had at their age. Middle school had been a struggle for me, mostly due to disinterest in traditional academics, but the band room was a sanctuary where I found joy, community, and self-confidence. That proved even more true in high school. While I didn’t mind my time in our large ensembles- marching band, jazz band, and wind ensemble, the most memorable moments were when our incredible Director Dean would blast Tower Of Power through the sound system, let us work out pop tunes for pep band, and allow me to take over the room to host morning Ska Band rehearsals.
As an educator, I was compelled to create similar opportunities for the young talented Philly kids who quickly began to feel more like family than students. We spent a lot of time together, gigging around the city with our jazz ensemble, putting on a standing room only Motown review, and rallying up fans at our basketball games with a drumline. The program model quickly began drawing as much, if not more, from my professional experience than my music education background and training. The biggest lesson I learned that year was that when I got out of the way, often out of self-preservation from not having slept, the students took the lead, arranged songs, wrote original songs, rehearsed parts, and did it all. I was able to shift from running the program to facilitating and coaching. Simultaneously the students developed their skills more quickly and broadly and our program got more hip. As my first year was winding down, a friend called with an unexpected offer to join his band which was heading out on tour across Europe in late May. After much serious deliberation and exploring a substitute to finish out the year, I passed on the opportunity and in that moment realized I was all in on seeing what we could do to shake up traditional music education! Over the next four years, the program continued to grow, adding a music technology lab to offer classes to more students, a recording studio in the band room, after school rock guitar club, and ultimately a second full-time teacher. After five years, I was eager to develop the model with high school students and moved over to School of the Future in West Philly. The Grover story didn’t quite end there as I continue to work closely with a number of those students to this day, drawing on the expertise that they have to share from their work in the industry and even some of their experiences on tour!
Central Office
At School of the Future, the model of music technology and contemporary ensembles quickly gained traction. The school was one of two in the District where students had a laptop. I embraced the challenge of redesigning the technology program from Apple to PC, working closely with colleagues from Microsoft, a significant partner to the school. I remained there until I accepted a position in the central office as the district’s Director of Music Education. I was eager to expand the contemporary model to more schools, however budget cuts threatened our longstanding legacy programs like All City orchestra, choir, and jazz festival and I made the decision to focus on ensuring their stability before introducing new programs that many might not be prepared to embrace. After securing partnerships and funding to sustain those programs, we were ready to begin introducing more contemporary and industry aligned programs. National partners like Save the Music Foundation, the Recording Academy, Music Will, and others were crucial to this work, providing teacher training and support, equipment, curriculums, and a network of like-minded educators and administrators. We also established partnerships with key manufacturers like Korg, Roland, Ludwig, and Philadelphia Drum Company to ensure students had access to the latest, industry standard equipment and technology. Locally, we developed a roster of industry professionals including musicians, producers, songwriters, audio techs, stagehand, who served as teaching artists and mentors.
Entertainment Industry Pathways at Overbrook High School
In early 2020, the School District of Philadelphia, Mann Center, and The DASH Program collaborated to co-design a Music Industry Training Program (MITP) at Overbrook High School in West Philadelphia. Overbrook’s impressive list of entertainment industry alum includes Will Smith, Schoolly D, Lady B, James Lassiter, The Delfonics, Chill Moody, drummer Lil John Roberts, and more.
The program launched virtually in January 2021 amid the pandemic, embedded within the school’s CTE Digital Media class. The initial focus was on music production, songwriting, and the business of music, led by The DASH Programs GRAMMY nominated master instructors.
Following the successful launch of and return to in-person learning, the District expanded the effort to a school-wide, 21st century learning model. Students now explore entertainment industry careers in music, film & television, digital design, and management through classes taught by certified educators and industry professionals, leading to certifications, internships, and on-job-training.
To support recent graduates, the Mann Center also launched a Music Industry Apprenticeship Program, offering hands-on experience in live events. The program is currently seeking state approval as an accredited pre-apprenticeship for aspiring stagehands.
MIC’d Up
MIC’d Up (Music Industry Classrooms) was launched in July 2021 by the School District of Philadelphia in partnership with the Fund for The School District of Philadelphia, The Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia at Comcast Center, and Bellosound. MIC’d Up connects student musicians with Philly's vibrant professional music industry through mentorships, workshops, performance opportunities, and access to state-of-the-art equipment. As live music and events returned post-pandemic, Four Seasons and booking partner Bellosound began showcasing student performers every Monday evening in the SkyHigh Lounge, a pristine space with breathtaking views located atop the city’s tallest building. Students DJs and small ensembles performing Jazz and R&B are recommended by teachers and participate in six-to-eight-week residencies. They are paired with mentors, receive weekly compensation aligned with local union rates, enjoy meals, and participate in a professional photoshoot to develop promotional materials. Following the residencies, students remain in the MIC’d Up network and are called upon for a variety of paid performance opportunities.
MIC’d Up performers have been featured at high-profile events including the Roots Picnic and the Pittsburgh International Jazz Festival. Additionally, the partnership with Four Seasons and MIC’d Up has expanded to include a weekly Sunday Jazz brunch, in addition to the Monday night series, now running for over four years.
Links
Dr. Frank Machos is the Vice President and Director of the Mann Center Institute for Creative Arts and Community Impact. Originally from Edison, New Jersey, he relocated to Philadelphia to attend the University of the Arts where he earned his Bachelor's in Music Composition and Master's in Music Education. Upon graduation, he joined the School District of Philadelphia teaching instrumental music first at Grover Washington Jr. Middle School and later at School of the Future, specializing in instrumental music and focusing on expanding innovation in music education by integrating popular and contemporary music, technology, and college and career skill development. In addition to teaching, a growing interest in partnerships and community development inspired Frank to found Limelight Arts, a community based performing arts non-profit organization focused on developing and supporting artists of all ages, abilities, and interests through culturally relevant arts instruction. Combining these experiences, Frank pursued and earned his Master's in School Leadership from the University of Pennsylvania, before transitioning from the classroom to administration to serve as the School District of Philadelphia's Director of Music Education. He later accepted an expanded role as Executive Director where he oversaw all aspects of Arts education in the district while serving on numerous boards and committees for cultural institutions across the city. In 2022, Frank earned a Ph.D. in Creativity from the University of the Arts. As a saxophonist, Frank is active in the Philadelphia music community and performed on Fox's New Year's Eve with Steve Harvey: Live from Times Square, in support of the legendary Village People. He also was featured conducting during the main event at WWE Wrestlemania XL, live from Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia, and broadcast globally on NBCs Peacock network. He most enjoys spending time with his wife and two sons.
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