Seven months ago, a special committee from the Board of Directors of Music for All––with guidance from Lochlin Partners, an executive search firm highly respected for guiding search committees through pivotal leadership transitions––set out on a quest: to find a world class leader to be CEO and President of Music for All. Music for All was celebrating its first fifty years of providing life-changing experiences through music––and was seeking an exceptional leader to enable them to grow into a future filled with promise and potential.

The process was both extensive and intensive; it was led by the two managing partners of our search firm who held in-person meetings with more than 30 key stakeholder ––ranging from Music for All staff to board members to community champions––to gain their input on the expectations and requirements of the new CEO. Lochlin Partners also designed and provided a survey ensuring MFA team members had a voice in the process.

Based on those insights, and with the assistance of the Board, Lochlin created a comprehensive position description and conducted an outreach process, during which they identified over 500 potential candidates, spoke directly with more than 200 individuals, conducted over 25 candidate interviews, and presented 10 finalists for consideration.

“The range of backgrounds of the candidates was incredible,” Lochlin told our Board, “but all shared one common theme––a deep respect for what Music for All represents.” In the end, the Board chose James Weaver Ed.D. to be the CEO and President of Music for All. As he begins his new assignment, Weaver sat down with Doug Pileri, Chairman of the Board of Music for All, to share his thoughts on the road ahead.

 

Doug Pileri: Thanks for doing this, James; congratulations on being named President and CEO at the end of a process that was, for us, unprecedented. One anecdote I found interesting: at some point, some students got my personal email – and three different band members from three different states recommended their band director for this position. I was impressed by how well Music for All is known, how important students saw this position, and how much they cared.

James Weaver: To me, the Music for All mission is the story of my life. I grew up in a very rural area in northeastern South Dakota where the economy was suppressed, the opportunities were limited, and I found that music was my path to a better future. In fourth grade, I started playing the bass because it was the biggest instrument that was there. I worked my way forward, gaining multi-state, multi-year recognition for my musical ability, and eventually earning a musical scholarship to college.

Doug: The importance you place on music and education aligns well with what Music for All is about.

James: Thanks to music, I was the first person in my family to graduate from college, first person in my family to get a master’s degree, first person in my family to get a doctorate. I went into teaching, where I found I had a passion for providing opportunities for young people to discover what I did: striving for excellence in music performance can open new pathways – and create a new sense of satisfaction for them that influences other aspects of their life.

Doug: Although you never left music, at some point you left teaching. Why?

James: I decided to move to administration for several reasons, some economic, some for my own personal and professional growth. I became the assistant executive director of the South Dakota High School Activities Association, where I had responsibility for all music, speech, debate, theater, and academic competition––and I was very fortunate to grow those programs. When the extensive travel required became a little too much for my family––we had three young children––I became the District Coordinator of Curriculum for the Sioux Falls Schools, a district of 25,000 students, where I oversaw a complete overhaul of the curriculum for performing arts. Now, I’m the Director of Performing Arts and Sports for the National Federation of State High School Associations.

Doug: So, you moved from managing state programs to the national stage.

James: That’s true. Stepping into a national role has given me the opportunity to support music education on a broader scale. As Director of Performing Arts and Sports, I oversee programs that impact millions of students nationwide, developing curriculum, creating professional learning resources, shaping national policy, and advocating for music, speech, debate, theatre, and spirit programs in every state. I work closely with state leaders and national partners to ensure these activities remain strong, equitable, and accessible. In addition, I serve as President of the National Music Council of the United States, where I help advance national conversations around arts advocacy, copyright, and policy. It’s all part of the same mission: using my platform to make sure every student, no matter their background or zip code, has the chance to discover what music can make possible.

Doug: As a Board, we were impressed by your understanding of the ecosphere of music as it exists in the educational environment of today–-and the way it continues to evolve for the future.

James: Music continues to expand and head in directions impossible to conceive just a few years ago, but I look at it through the eyes of my fourth-grade self who first picked up a bass – and found it changed my life. Our mission in Music for All is to ensure that we help to support opportunities like that for kids at every level, everywhere; that they have access to a musical experience that will change their lives. I’m excited to be here, at this moment in the process. One of the things I’m looking at is what happens in the first 100 days.

Doug: What will be your priorities during that time?

James: I really want to spend time listening and learning, from the Board, from internal staff, and from our external partners. I have a broad range of experience, but there’s a lot that I don’t know. As I learn more, I want to establish a foundation of growth and innovation. I feel that Music for All is poised and ready for that.

Doug: What “causes” do you think Music for All should support?

James: Music is bipartisan and nonpartisan. I’m proof that music can provide life-changing experiences, and I believe we need to focus our attention and our voices on the programs and initiatives we offer to enable that. There are so many other great causes that it’s easy to be drawn into them – and to want to speak out about them – based on personal beliefs. I think we need to recognize that whatever we say will be a reflection on the organization we represent––and the mission we have. Based on my research, Music for All has built its reputation over the past fifty years by doing what they do so well––and focusing on the mission. On my watch, that will continue.

Doug: There is a lot that is strong and right about what Music for All is doing today. Our programs are highly successful and well accepted. How do we build from there?

James: I’m a big data nerd. I love searching, researching, finding connections and figuring out ways to strengthen and extend what’s working today––even as we explore the opportunities that are opening up––and decide how or whether we should participate? Should we, for example, launch pilot programs to explore possibilities into the broader music education environment––and introduce new initiatives that may have impact in those areas? Some combination of data, experience, and small experiments may provide the answer.

Doug: Music for All is proud of its staff; they’re loyal and experienced. How will you involve them in the process?

James: If you talk to those who’ve worked for me and with me, I think you’ll find that I like to share both credit and responsibility, so I encourage lots of staff engagement. I invite opposing opinions. People should be unafraid to give me the benefit of their experience––even if sometimes that may cause us to pivot. But I believe also in pushing boundaries and supporting staff growth through cross-departmental pilots; I love encouraging staff to try new things, to go beyond their own limitations. Music for All won’t grow unless our people do. And at every level, I want to be sure we know how to identify and measure success. Did I mention that I’m a data nerd?

Doug: How about partners and sponsors? We have several at various levels who work with us in different ways.

James: I take relationships with partners and other sponsors very seriously; I expect them to be about much more than paying for name association or ads in a program. I like when they’re about sharing strengths and expectations, when they’re about finding ways to use each other’s resources and connections to make ‘one plus one equal three’. When it’s appropriate, I like to involve them early in our plans. To me, a partnership means we work together, we each know what we want out of the arrangement, we help each other to be successful, and in the end, we’re both satisfied with the results of what we’ve achieved.

Doug: And finally––or maybe “firstly” – what do you expect to be our role, as the Board of Directors, in supporting or guiding what you and your staff and partners do?

James: In terms of the Board, I’m hoping you’ll set high expectations and champion our efforts, making sure we’re exploring the areas we need to, but realizing we’re not always going to be successful at everything we try. As Mario Andretti – who won the Indy 500 only once in 29 tries – said: “If everything seems under control, you’re not going fast enough.” In our case, if we’re not making some mistakes, we’re not reaching far enough; if we’re making too many mistakes, we’re not learning quickly enough. My goal will be to find a balance. I hope the Board’s goal will be to make sure we’re always stretching in intelligent ways to help Music for All reach its full potential.

Doug: As you begin your new assignment, what do you see that potential to be?

James: Music for All has the resources and flexibility to do a lot of good for a lot of students in a lot of areas as the landscape of music education in the United States changes. You’ve built a powerful base of success in marching band competitions. How can we strengthen that? You offer some online services. Should we do more? You have relationships with some of the finest musical professionals in the world. Are we – and they – maximizing those? There are other areas – with different musical content – that require the strengths you have in event design and programming. Should we explore those? Although the answer will not always be, ‘yes,’ we should be at least asking those questions. For me, the next fifty years of Music for All begins now.

Doug: Let’s get started.