Every child deserves the chance to pick up an instrument, step onto a stage, or create something they’re proud of. That opportunity shouldn’t depend on whether their school has the resources, their family’s income or the ZIP code they live in.

I’m Travis Garland, and I’m a singer, songwriter and producer. I know how much it can mean to find your voice through music and the arts. But you don’t have to become a professional artist for arts education to change your life. Sometimes, it’s where you find your confidence, your friends, or a reason to look forward to school.

I want every student to have that chance—and every arts teacher to have the resources to make it possible.

Too many students are already missing out. According to the Arts Education Data Project, more than 2 million public school students lack access to any arts education. Schools serving high proportions of low-income students are often affected the most.

When a school loses its music, theater, dance, or visual arts program, families who can afford private lessons may find another option. Families who can’t are left without one. A child’s opportunity to discover a talent shouldn’t disappear because their school doesn’t have the resources, or because there’s no room in the household budget.

We’re asking Congress to protect and strengthen federal arts education funding so more students can participate and teachers have the support they need.

Federal programs help provide instruments, classroom materials, equipment, and professional learning for arts educators. Yet the House’s proposed fiscal year 2027 spending bill would eliminate Assistance for Arts Education, while the administration has proposed replacing several education programs—including Title IV-A—with a smaller combined grant. These are proposals, and Congress can still choose to protect this support. With temporary federal funding set to expire on December 11, 2026, the coming budget decisions give lawmakers a clear opportunity to stand behind students and teachers. This isn’t a red or blue issue—music, theater, dance, and visual arts belong to everyone. Just like history and math, science and sports, the arts are a deeply vital part of our education system and should be protected, supported, and freely accessible for all to learn and enjoy.

We urge the House and Senate Appropriations Committees to:

• Protect and increase Assistance for Arts Education funding, supporting arts educators, accessible learning materials, and partnerships that bring the arts to more students.
• Preserve and strengthen Title IV-A as a separate funding program, allowing schools to support a well-rounded education that includes music, theater, dance, and visual arts.
• Prioritize access for students with the fewest opportunities, including those in low-income and rural communities and students with disabilities.

We also call on the U.S. Department of Education to give schools clear, practical guidance on using eligible federal funds to support arts instruction and teachers.

Behind every school performance or classroom art project is a teacher helping students try, practice, make mistakes, and grow. Those teachers are shaping the next generation’s Mozart and Miles Davis, Spielberg and Scorsese, Picasso and Prince - and they need reliable support. Their students deserve opportunities that last beyond the next budget debate.

Whether you’re a parent, teacher, musician, artist or someone who still remembers the class where you first felt you belonged, this is something we can stand behind together.

Please sign and share this petition to protect arts education funding—and help keep music, theater, dance, and art within reach of every student.