Park City schools strike a chord with music education grant, national honors

A small group of Park City students hit all the right notes at their end of year recital. Photo: Park City High School Music Department

PARK CITY, Utah – For the second year in a row, Park City School District has been named one of the Best Communities for Music Education by the National Association of Music Merchants — a recognition that underscores the district’s continued efforts to make music education accessible, innovative, and impactful.

Across the country, music programs are often under-funded, but Park City School District is working in partnership with the Park City Education Foundation to change that narrative locally. A new initiative launched last year has brought professional musicians directly into local classrooms, offering private and small-group lessons to nearly 300 string students in grades 6–12.

Eva Marble, orchestra director for sixth through twelfth graders, helped conceptualize and now manages the program. “This grant from PCEF has been one of the orchestra program’s greatest success stories,” said Marble. “It has dramatically accelerated student growth by making high-quality instruction accessible to everyone.”

Accessibility to private music education has been a long-standing challenge in Park City. “Most private teachers can’t afford to live here, and many of our students are involved in multiple activities, making it difficult to travel to Salt Lake or Provo for lessons,” said Marble. “On top of that, private music instruction isn’t financially accessible for all families.”

This grant has brought professional musicians into Park City music rooms to meet each student exactly where they are and guide them to the next level, according to Marble.

To celebrate another successful year of the program and student progress, music faculty organized an end-of-year recital with some of the participants. “The students exceeded every expectation,” said Marble. “The recital was such a success that we’re now planning to expand it next year and have every high school music student perform.”

The grant is funded through the PCEF Classroom Grant Program, which supports grassroots ideas that come directly from teachers, according to Kara Cody, Park City Education Foundation’s Vice-President of Programs. “If teachers have an idea of something innovative, or they see a challenge in their classroom and they want to explore a way to overcome that challenge, we provide the funding to help make that possible,” she said.

The district’s investment in music is more than just enrichment — it’s backed by research. Studies have shown that music education contributes to improved creativity and confidence, better mental health and emotional stability, and higher academic performance, according to a paper published by the International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health.