Make Waves is a groundbreaking music education model based in the Portland Metro Area. We aim to breathe new life into existing music programs which were designed to reach communities with gaps in educational services. We provide this support through giving students their own instruments to keep, funding private music lessons, engaging in community outreach, and encouraging diverse hiring practices.

A child with their back to the camera explores a violin and its bow among a number of other instruments, including a piano, guitars, and percussion instruments, during a community event. A sign-up sheet for free music lessons sit on a table.

FREE PRIVATE MUSIC LESSONS

Make Waves funds full scholarships for private music lessons for students ages 5-17 in the Portland Metro Area, and supplies each student with their own instrument to keep.

As of 2023, every Make Waves student within age-range is invited to continue their instruction for as long as it serves and excites them!

ACCESSIBILITY

When we say music education is for everyone, we mean it. While our mission initially revolved around helping families overcome financial barriers to private music education, we are now also committed to connecting students with adaptive programming for children with disabilities.

Wavelengths is our original training program series for music education professionals, launched in Summer of 2025. Its goal is to equip teachers with the skills to provide adaptive lessons in their own schools, private studios, and programming. These series are available in person or online. Contact KinaLyn@make-waves.org to learn more and find the next session!

COMMUNITY AND REPRESENTATION

We do outreach, demonstrating and providing instruments to try at community events throughout the year, and meeting with school counselors and community centers to help connect students with participating music schools in their area with as few barriers to access as possible. We believe there is value and power both in representation and in sharing our diverse backgrounds, therefore, we also use these networks to recruit music educators of the global majority, music educators who are disabled, and music educators who are LGBTQIA+ and gender diverse.

SUSTAINABLE PRACTICES

We source instruments primarily through donations and make repairs in-house when we are able. Did you know that many inexpensive string instruments are built so cheaply that even when brand new they are difficult to play and keep in tune? This can be extremely discouraging for new musicians. We are grateful for our partner luthier, Matt Franzen, who checks out, cleans, repairs, and sets up all instruments, donated or new, to give each student the best experience possible with their new instrument.

Make Waves has recirculated over 200 instruments back into the community since its launch!