I was lucky enough to grow up in Davenport, Iowa. During the years I was in high school, every student in the band program got a weekly music lesson in school from either a woodwind, brass, or percussion specialist. I received good lessons and entered college with a good foundation in musicianship and fundamentals of technique. This was especially fortunate for me, because my family could not afford private lessons. That school program actually continued until a few years ago, when the budget battles finally took it out.
Public school systems all over the country have been struggling for years with really, really tough budget situations. Even in the well-off suburb where I now live, the school music programs have suffered cuts that put in crimp in the opportunities (or eliminated them). It was encouraging to read the following article about the "Beatles Project" helping public schools with some much-needed money:
http://www.startribune.com/local/north/117495493.html
My question for the forum is: can you name other programs like this? I'm sure there are other private programs that could help the school music outlook. Perhaps it would be good to discuss them here so we could all support the organizations providing them. And maybe some of the more adventurous readers could even encourage other such programs to be formed.