Lend an Ear! has been Monadnock Music's primary education program since 1986.

During the school year, Monadnock Music’s Lend an Ear! program serves about 2,000 elementary school students in 22 schools of the Monadnock region.

This program began twenty-four years ago to supplement the limited music offerings in area schools, and to bring small groups of musicians who are also gifted communicators into each school to teach basic concepts of rhythm, pitch, tempo, harmony, and musical teamwork. The programs give students a chance to see that musicians are real people, not distant images on a screen. Small group size and maximum interchange between students and musicians is key.

Each year, teams of two musicians/two instruments are sent to area schools three times a year. In this manner, the students are exposed to six musicians/instruments each school year.  Our musicians are all professional musicians from the Boston area, many play in various orchestras (i.e, the Boston Symphony, the Boston Ballet, etc.).  They show the students their instruments, how they work, then they play snipets of different types of music and some with the two instruments together. The ideal age group is 3rd and 4th grade as that is usually when the students are first introduced into playing music, but depending on the size of the school, all elementary grades are elegible.  Smaller class sizes are best as it allows for a more intimate arrangement for asking questions and a hands on experience.