The students at Rachel Carson Elementary like to remind Principal Javier Arriola-Lopez that they speak three languages: Spanish, English and music.
You can hear them tuning up at band rehearsal at the Gage Park school gym. Sitting under a basketball hoop and in front of their “Bulldogs” logo, the fourth and fifth graders count, sing and play a few tentative notes. The more advanced seventh and eighth graders bring full songs to life, including “Latin Fiesta” and “Day of the Dead.”
That culturally relevant approach to musical education inspires pride in the students, as well as their families and communities, said Arriola-Lopez, who oversees a predominantly Latino population of students in pre-K through 8th grade.
“Their parents are very supportive,” he said. “They get a lot of compliments from [their] neighbors. I’ve always believed that if we lift the school, we lift the whole community.”
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The school’s 20-year-old band program is run by Merit School of Music, a West Loop nonprofit that removes barriers to classical music through its community programs and tuition-free conservatory. The school serves more than 2,900 students, across nearly 140 zip codes. A third of the students are Latino.
And a Chicago Sun-Times and WBEZ survey revealed that, compared to the slow progress of some of the city’s other large arts and culture organizations, Merit has made sizable efforts to diversify its organization, with people of color making up 44% of its board and 61% of its full-time staff. In Chicago, people of color make up 68% of Chicago’s population, with Latinos representing 30% of residents, according to the 2023 American Community Survey.
Amid political attacks on diversity, equity and inclusion, Merit’s leaders say they are staying committed to developing young musicians of all racial and socioeconomic backgrounds. Beyond establishing band programs, the school provides access to free or low-cost instruments and private lessons. It also helps address some of the gaps in music education in Chicago Public Schools; music is not a guaranteed offering, with 60% percent of the city’s elementary schools providing music courses, according to a report by the research and advocacy nonprofit Ingenuity. The report, which notes that the extent of instruction varies, also found that area high schools face a growing need for more in-depth music coursework.
Charles Grode, the president and executive director at Merit, said he hopes his organization’s efforts will help address the lack of diversity in American orchestras.
“Talent is everywhere, but access to opportunity is limited,” said Grode, who also stressed the importance of representation. “If you don’t see yourself reflected, you don’t necessarily feel welcome,” he said. “That’s why it’s important for us to have a student body that reflects the city.”
The Merit Music in Communities program allows the organization to reach students in schools like Carson Elementary. By participating in the program, the young musicians practice building confidence through hard work.
Carson elementary fourth-grader Samantha Cotorra, 9, said she chose to play the flute because it looked “pretty” and “challenging,” and she was already seeing improvement.
“Once you practice, if you never give up, it won’t be challenging anymore,” she said. “Believe in yourself and try what you want to try.”
Flutist Isabella Yanez, 13, has also become more self-assured in her playing, noting that she no longer feels anxious when the band director calls on her to play a solo note.
“I’d get really, really nervous,” said Yanez, who is in seventh grade at Carson. “It was very terrible. But over time, I just got used to it.”
She also praised the bond she has made with her bandmates.
“There’s people I wouldn’t have gotten as close to if it wasn’t for band,” she said.
At Carson on a recent weekday, several students were focused on Merit’s potential long-term impact on their lives, whether it was helping them stand out for competitive high school admission, or preparing for college scholarships. The organization cultivates lengthy relationships with young musicians, inviting qualified Merit Music in Communities participants to audition for the conservatory and Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative. Through the latter program, Merit partners with a network of organizations to identify talent from underrepresented backgrounds and prepare them to study music at the college level.
Carson Elementary eighth grader Frewin Jara praised the benefits of being a Merit musician.
“I just wanted to have a better opportunity for my future, so I could be more successful in life,” said the 14-year-old bassoonist.
The school’s band director, Steven Gooden, said learning music was a privilege he took for granted growing up.
“But I realized that not everybody gets to do that,” said Gooden, who also directs Merit’s philharmonic and conservatory symphonic band. “I really believe that every person on the planet has some sort of connection to music. And if we can offer them that opportunity to learn life skills and learn musical skills, it’s going to make a pretty big impact for the rest of their life.”
By learning from Gooden, a Black conductor, some students of color are more motivated to pursue a similar career.
“You don’t necessarily see that as a future position that you could fill until you see somebody that looks like you,” he said. “When I got to Merit, I saw how many many students really related to seeing me in that position. It gave them a sense of empowerment.”
Inspiring a diverse group of students has been a goal of Merit since its founding in 1979, Grode said. But the 2020 murder of George Floyd prompted the school to strengthen its inclusion, diversity, equity and access strategy.
“It was a trauma for the nation and for our students and families,” he said.
The school developed an action plan that focused on providing antiracism and implicit bias training, revamped its recruitment and hiring practices, and diversified its curriculum with musical repertoire that better represents the students and their lived experiences. Between 2021 and 2025, the organization more than doubled its Black and Latino full-time staff members.
Although Merit has a diverse student body, Black students account for only 9% of those served. “Black student participation is not where we want it to be,” Grode said. By comparison, Black residents represent 27% of Chicago’s population.
To help expand participation, Merit opened a new location in the South Shore neighborhood, offering music classes at Bryn Mawr Community Church. The music school also recruits students from predominantly Black schools to join the Chicago Musical Pathways Initiative.
Merit staff members say they hope students of all backgrounds feel welcome and experience the joy of playing music.
“Why would you do this if it’s not fun?” said Gooden, who enjoys instructing beginners as much as the conservatory students.
“I would teach music for free because it’s the most amazing thing ever,” he said. “Even if it’s one sound, it’s beautiful.”