Elemental Music

Call Directions Website Contact the organization

Elemental Music celebrates music-making and builds community through music education programs!

10/16/2026

🎺 After a competitive application and interview process, we are delighted to introduce you to Elemental Music’s fifth cohort of undergraduate Teaching Fellows!

This season, our four fellows are representing Loyola Marymount University, CSUN Music, and California State University, Long Beach! The fellows will work alongside our teaching artists, gain mentorship from our directors, and participate in professional development opportunities with special guests.

Please say hello to Hayden Hardy (Elemental Band), Gianfranco Montelione (Elemental Choir), Salma Tellez (Elemental Strings), and Elizabeth Yesilevsky (Elemental strings)! Help us welcome them to the EM team and learn more about our fellows here: https://www.elementalmusic.org/news/2026/10/15/introducing-our-202627-teaching-fellows-

10/10/2026

What does early childhood music actually do for little ones? 🎶 According to our Early Childhood Music Director Polly Hall, a lot: “Music touches the entire brain at once: hearing, movement, memory, attention, emotion.”

💜 We are so delighted to welcome Polly to the Elemental Music team! She’s a GRAMMY- and Emmy-nominated artist (Andrew & Polly, Ear Snacks) and a longtime early childhood specialist, having worked for many years as atelierista at Growing Place.

Get to know Polly and how she thinks about music and early learning in our interview with her >>

https://www.elementalmusic.org/news/2026/10/9/introducing-polly

10/06/2026

The National Weather Service Extreme Heat Warning is expected to continue through Thursday, October 8. During dangerously hot conditions, go to a Santa Monica Library for cooling needs. santamonica.gov/library-locations-and-hours . Take actions to protect your health. ready.lacounty.gov/heat

Durante condiciones peligrosamenta calimentes, vaya a las bibliotecas publicas de Santa Monica para aire acondicionado. santamonica.gov/library-locations-and-hours . Tome medidas para proteger su salud. ready.lacounty.gov/heat

10/03/2026

Due to the heat, we are canceling our Welcome Picnic! Try to stay cool this weekend!

10/01/2026

It’s not just the students who are excited for this season…our amazing teachers are also so excited to get started!

09/30/2026

And we’re off! After this week, all of the programs in the 2026/27 season of Elemental Music will have begun!

During the first Academy Philharmonic rehearsal yesterday, we asked some students to share their favorite thing about the ensemble and the answers weren’t surprising! Making music with friends, playing exciting repertoire, and enjoying the unique experience of getting to play with a full orchestra as middle schoolers….what could be better? 🎶

09/28/2026

“I feel the real kind of happy in my heart!” That’s what one Elemental Music student giddily proclaimed after performing in his very first orchestra concert with us. 🥹We’ve been creating magical moments like this for over two decades.

Elemental Music started in 2004 with 25 elementary students in a single after-school string orchestra. Since then, nearly 6,000 students have made music with us in programs ranging from early childhood classes to orchestra, band, choir, classical guitar, chamber music, in-school core music, and more.

Our goal is to help young musicians find their voice, build self-confidence, and develop artistic excellence, all within a community that lifts them up! Every kid deserves a place in music, and we work hard to make sure that is possible. Each year we serve about 800 students, and more than 60% of those students receive need-based scholarships or tuition-free programming.

On this Mission Monday, we’re feeling grateful for all of the supporters who make our programs possible. 💛 Here’s to a new season full of first concerts, new friendships, and a lot of the “real kind of happy!”

09/27/2026

Our littlest musicians kicked off our fall unit of Early Childhood Music today! 🍂🎶 Children and their caregivers spent the morning moving, shaking, and listening their way into the new season. It’s amazing to see how they have grown since the summer! One of the highlights of today was when a preschooler announced that he has always wanted to play the trumpet. Future brass section...we see you! 🎺

There’s still time to join in on the fun! Sign up for our ECM classes with Director Polly Hall here: https://www.elementalmusic.org/early-childhood

09/25/2026

School music classes are starting, and so is the excitement of learning a new instrument! 🎻✨ There’s still time for your 3rd–5th grader to join Prelude, our beginning strings ensemble. No experience and no audition required! Prelude is the perfect place for excited young musicians to experience the joy of making music together for the first time. 💙

Rehearsals start next week! Please share with any interested families you might know and sign up here: https://www.elementalmusic.org/prelude

09/18/2026

🎶 The fall unit of our Early Childhood Music program, directed by GRAMMY- and Emmy-nominated musician (and Andrew & Polly co-creator!) Polly Hall, kicks off next week at our Elemental Music campus!

In these classes for little ones and their caretakers, our youngest musicians will build fine and gross motor skills, language development, auditory perception, memory, and attention…all through the joy of music, movement, and play!

✨ There are still a few open spots! Sign up today to reserve your place in class: https://www.elementalmusic.org/early-childhood

Address

1906 Olympic Boulevard
Santa Monica, CA
90404

Telephone

+13102200349

Website

http://www.elementalmusic.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Elemental Music posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Contact The Organization

Send a message to Elemental Music:

Want your organization to be the top-listed non profit organization in Santa Monica?