Free Music Lessons and Instrument Lending at Libraries

K-12 STEAM education

County of Los Angeles (select only if your project has a countywide benefit)

Pilot or new project, program, or initiative (testing or implementing a new idea)

Recent studies underscore that music education and instrument playing during childhood contribute substantially to cognitive development, including language skills, memory, and overall academic performance, as well as emotional and social benefits.
Creative economy jobs, including music, still constitute 7.5% of jobs in LA County (Otis College, 2025 report) and California remains a “fine arts education powerhouse” in which creative economy workers are “better educated and better paid.”
However, with cuts in school music programs and disparities in privilege and access, music education is not available to many households in Los Angeles County. According to LA Arts Collective, roughly 75% of elementary and middle schools do not have the equivalent of full-time music teachers. There are numerous private music programs throughout the County, but most are out of budget for lower-income families. Purchasing musical instruments to practice at home is also a cost-prohibitive barrier for many.

LA County Library is expanding its successful Tool Lending Library to include musical instruments. At six libraries across the County (Rosemead, Compton, San Fernando, Malibu, Norwalk, and Lancaster), library cardholders can borrow tools for home repairs, yard work, baking, and more. They'll soon also be able to borrow guitars, keyboards, and drums, in order to experiment with different instruments.
To create learning opportunities for those who borrow instruments, the Library is hosting tuition-free, beginner-level group lessons focusing on music theory, sight reading, and basic playing techniques. Initial lessons in the pilot year will be for up to 12 middle school students (ages 10-13) per instrument, over the course of six weekly hour-long sessions at the six Tool Lending Library locations, with at least one location in each of the County’s five Supervisorial Districts, to ensure inclusive and equitable access, especially in areas where music education isn’t widely available. A teaching collection of instrument for the group classes will be loaned to participants for the duration of their lessons, to allow regular practice between sessions.
The Library will also procure ArtistWorks, an online database of free music lessons, to provide on-demand learning opportunities to others who borrow instruments, including adults.
The Library is hiring the Bloom Arts Foundation to teach its initial round of classes, a relationship which will continue if the classes are successful.

During the grant period, six LA County Library locations, already trusted and well-used public gathering places, will become hubs for creative learning and expression. In the same spaces families come to borrow bookies and materials—including tools from the Tool Lending Library—music instruments will also be borrowed free of charge, increasing access.
Professional music teachers will provide free instruction to young people, making the Library a music education hub. Families won’t be required to purchase expensive instruments or private classes, if their school doesn’t offer music education. Young participants will learn and play free of charge, reaping the cognitive, social, and emotional benefits of music education.
Long-term, the Library hopes to add more instruments and locations, along with classes for more age groups. Building relationships with local arts organizations will also help promote class sign-ups and instrument checkouts, ensuring the lending library is fully utilized.