MTAC Foundation

The Music Teachers’ Association of California® Foundation is a charitable organization, established in 1989 to support students across the 63 affiliated Branches statewide through the Foundation awards and scholarship programs. Since its establishment, the MTAC Foundation has provided thousands of dollars in grants, awards and scholarships to hundreds of deserving young students.

MISSION STATEMENT

The mission of the MTAC Foundation is to provide opportunities for further musical education, the creation of new music, and public performances through scholarships, grants and awards.

Why Give?

When you contribute to the MTAC Foundation, you are helping foster artistic growth and achievement through programs that nurture the creation, performance, and further study of music. Your donation will fund the awards and scholarships given to deserving young musicians seeking to further their education and experience in both performance and creative musical fields. These musicians strive to achieve new heights in performances through the VOCE and Piano Concerto/Piano Solo competitions as well as the Young Artist Guild, which assists promising students in establishing a musical career. The Improvisation, Composers Today and the Young Composers Guild programs inspire students to create new music, and students have the opportunity to work with internationally renowned composers through the Friends of Today’s Music program which brings composer, performer, and audience together for an adventure in contemporary music. The Music Study Assistance Grant provides financial assistance to support ongoing private music study for motivated MTAC students.

With your support, the MTAC Foundation can continue to bring educational opportunities to students and to challenge them to achieve artistic excellence. Your contribution to the MTAC Foundation is an investment in the future.

Support Students In The Following Programs

Your donation provides awards, grants and scholarships for students in these programs to support the students in their musical endeavors and motivate them to aspire to a high level of artistry and creativity, in addition to enabling students to further their musical education.

Select on a program below to learn more about each program and donate.

*The Second Century Fund is a general fund designated for initiatives that benefit all of the MTAC Foundation programs.

Gifts to Music Teachers’ Association of California® Foundation can be made “in honor of” or “in memoriam” by selecting a program above and indicating the person to be honored in the notes section.

Donate by Mail

Make checks payable to “Music Teachers’ Association of California Foundation” and mail to:

Music Teachers’ Association of California Foundation
2121 N. California Blvd, Suite 1030
Walnut Creek, CA 94596

Download Form

Compose a Legacy: Donation Options

Gifts to Music Teachers’ Association of California® Foundation can be made “in honor of” or “in memoriam”.
All gifts are eligible for tax deductions as allowable by law. The following information is general in nature. Before making any decision, please consult with an attorney and/or financial advisor.

Cash

Any amount is appreciated.

Appreciated Assets

Contribute appreciated assets, such as stocks or real estate.

Existing Life Insurance

Name the MTAC Foundation as a beneficiary of a life insurance policy.

Trusts

Include MTAC Foundation in a charitable trust and/or annuities that provide the donor with a fixed or variable lifetime income

Wills

Designate a fixed amount, specific assets, or percentages of an estate for MTAC Foundation after all other expenses have been taken. Reduction of estate tax liability may also be available.

Other Options

eScrip is a company that allows you to contribute to MTAC Foundation by shopping online with select merchants or with your internet searches.

Did You Know?

  • Students who engage in music programs outperform their peers in GPA, graduation rate, ACT scores, attendance, and discipline referrals. (KU News)
  • Playing an instrument can lead to brain structural changes within just 15 months that improve motor and auditory skills in young children. (Bergman)
  • Music is extremely beneficial for children’s language development. (Brown)
  • Elementary school students with a superior music program scored 22% higher in English and 20% higher in math scores on standardized tests, compared to schools with low-quality music programs. (Brown)
  • The MTAC VOCE program stands out as a key part in my growth as a musician, helping me to become the flutist I am today. It has been a platform on which I have been able to expand my musical abilities, building my confidence as a performer through competition. As a proud winner in both solo and ensemble categories, the Foundation awards will help to support my musical career, especially as I continue to pursue music in college.
    Jamie K.
  • I am sixteen years old. I started taking piano lessons when I was five. I have loved it ever since. My piano teacher is Rufus Choi. This year, besides competing in the MTAC State Concerto Competition, I am participating in several piano festivals. Currently, I am attending the Art of the Piano Festival in Cincinnati, Ohio. After this, I will attend the Frost Chopin Festival in Miami, Florida, and then the NYU Summer Piano Intensive in New York City.
    Participating in the MTAC Piano Solo and Concerto Competitions has been a phenomenal experience for me as the extremely high level of pianism these events attract compels me to push my pianistic and musical limits to the utmost. In addition, it is always a joy for me to attend the convention where the finals are held and meet up with old friends as well as get to know new ones. I am very grateful that MTAC has these competitions for young pianists in California to compete in and learn from. The monetary awards that I have received from winning in these competitions are in a savings account for future use.
    Talon S.
  • For the majority of teachers in CA, the MTAC Solo and Concerto Competition is a very important checkpoint of young pianists abilities.
    I grow up in Poland where music education happens in special music schools. It is free but everyone has to work hard to  meet special standards by passing exams at the end of each semester. There are not as many piano competitions but everyone is motivated to work hard thanks to the internal atmosphere and competition among the students and teachers in the school.
    In California, where learning is happening in private studios mostly, there is a need to create events which motivate students to practice. As we know, there are very many smaller and bigger competitions. Among them, the  MTAC Solo and Concerto competition represent the highest level. What I like a lot is that not only the level of participating pianists is very high but also the selection of judges is great. Participating students and teachers can always learn from constructive comments and trust that the results are fair, which in the world of very competitive and sometimes political music world is a very comforting assurance.
    For many students the Solo-Concerto Competitions are like ladders to climb. In many competitions one can get a prize after some practice, but one has to work very hard in order to be recognized in the MTAC competitions. For those who play the state finals there is a special pressure, there are not only judges and parents listening to the competition but also very many teachers, and everyone remembers for a long time the State Finals of the MTAC Competitions!
    In general though, thank you all involved in creating MTAC and running the MTAC Competitions as well. Thanks to your hard work the Californian musical world is a much better place!
     
    Roza Y
  • Thank you so much for your support of the VOCE competition. Winning 1st place in the Intermediate Ensemble Category was a major accomplishment and highlight for me and also for our piano quartet. To reach a milestone like this and know that hard work is being recognized is a wonderful gift. Thank you again for your support of young musicians.
    Katelyn V.
  • I would like to thank you for your generous support toward the VOCE competition. The scholarship money I received was a great help towards funding my musical career and education. I am currently trying to achieve my AA in Music and your generous donation has helped me pay for books and tuition. Thank you very much for this great help and for all your generous support to all young artists.
    Moises S.
  • The MTAC Composers Today Program was the spark that started me down the path of becoming a professional composer. When I first entered the Composers Today competition, I thought of myself as little more than a kid with a musical hobby. Through the validation and support of the MTAC Foundation, I went on to become one of the first fellows in the Los Angeles Philharmonic's Composer Fellowship Program, to study composition at Yale and USC, and now to work professionally as a composer in Los Angeles.
    Anderson F. Alden, professional composer, YCG 2007
  • The Young Artist Guild’s generous scholarships make it possible for me to concern myself less with the financial burdens of college, and instead focus on pushing past my limits as an artist. In college, I hope to inspire myself, friends, teachers, and most importantly those who have yet to experience classical music.
    Alex C.
  • Every year, I travel to numerous international piano competitions and summer festivals. The Young Artist Guild scholarship helps ease the financial burden and supports me to further advance in my musical journey. One of my main goals is to spread the power of music to children and audiences of all ages. Being a YAG member gives me more opportunities to share my music and grow as a performing artist.
    Eliot W.

The Music Teachers’ Association of California® Foundation, established in 1989 as the philanthropic arm of the MTAC Association, is a California based 501(c)(3) tax-exempt nonprofit organization