Toyota has announced a $75,000 donation to Music Will, a nonprofit organization focused on providing music education to students across the United States. The partnership aims to support young artists and expand access to culturally responsive music programs in public schools.
Music Will is recognized as the largest nonprofit music program in the country, delivering hands-on education to over one million students in thousands of schools nationwide. Through this collaboration, Toyota sponsored live events where students and educators participated and performed, including festivals such as ONE Musicfest in Atlanta and Camp Flog Gnaw Carnival in Los Angeles.
Kaitlin Marie Pennell, Senior Analyst at Toyota, commented on the initiative: “It’s been a pleasure working and connecting with students through music, which is a universal connector. Supporting emerging artists has been part of what Toyota has been doing for so many years, and it’s exciting when we see it come to life through partnerships with rising artists like ELA Taubert and through our work with festival partners that provided great real-life experiences for students from Music Will who took part in these opportunities.”
Students from Verdugo Hills High School had an opportunity to meet Latin GRAMMY-winning artist ELA Taubert during her concert in Los Angeles. She shared insights about her musical journey and offered them a behind-the-scenes look at her performance.
Janice Polizzotto, Chief Growth Officer at Music Will, expressed appreciation for Toyota’s involvement: “We’re so grateful to Toyota for investing in our mission and giving kids an experience of a lifetime. We’re incredibly proud of our students and teachers who continue to inspire us with their creativity, confidence, and ambition. These young musicians are a glimpse of the rising artists shaping the future – and it’s exciting to know Toyota is helping support that next generation. We can’t wait to see what grows from this new partnership and the possibilities ahead.”
Toyota has supported cultural initiatives in the U.S. for nearly 70 years through its brands Toyota and Lexus as well as nearly 1,500 dealerships. The company employs almost 48,000 people domestically who contribute across design, engineering, assembly operations at 11 manufacturing plants nationwide. In 2025, its North Carolina plant began assembling automotive batteries for electrified vehicles.
The company also runs educational programs via its Driving Possibilities initiative under the Toyota USA Foundation targeting underserved communities near its operating sites.
Music Will began by offering free guitar lessons at an elementary school in East Palo Alto in 1996 before expanding into a national movement serving more than 1.8 million students since 2002. By providing teacher training along with curriculum materials and instruments across all states—including over 6,000 schools—the organization plans to reach up to 11 million students annually by 2030.
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