The MFMII mission is to nurture the love and literacy of music in children’s classrooms and lives through instruction, participation, and performances, enhancing academic education with musical arts.

How It All Began: 38 Years of Music, Volunteers, and Young Voices

In 1985, in a first-grade classroom at Hacienda School in Fremont, something small and ordinary quietly set a much larger story in motion.

Carol Zilli was there as a parent volunteer, sharing music with a group of children. It was a simple act—songs, rhythm, voices filling a classroom. But one moment stood out. A young student, Elizabeth Levy, eagerly taught Carol a chant: “Hi, My Name is Joe.” It was playful, catchy, and energetic. When Carol asked where it came from, the answer carried a sense of mystery and connection. It had traveled from a friend in Los Altos, who had learned it from her docent.

That thread of curiosity tugged at Carol. Where had this music come from? Who was behind it? Her search led her to Music for Minors I in Los Altos, a program rooted in the belief that music should be a living, breathing part of every child’s education. Carol didn’t just find answers there. She found inspiration, purpose, and a vision.

By 1986, she had become a trained docent, bringing music to every classroom at Niles School, where her own three children were students. But Carol saw something more than just a program. She saw a possibility. Guided and encouraged by the leadership she encountered, she imagined what it could mean to bring this kind of musical experience to even more children.

In 1988, that vision took shape. With determination and a small group of committed parents, Carol founded Music for Minors II in Fremont as a nonprofit organization. It began modestly but meaningfully: 17 docents, 6 schools, and 850 children whose days were now filled with song.

What followed was not just growth, but momentum. Within a year, the number of docents nearly doubled, and the program expanded to more schools. Classrooms, hallways, and playgrounds began to echo with music—songs from different cultures, rhythms that invited movement, and melodies that brought children together.

But the program wasn’t just about teaching music. It was about building confidence, creating joy, and fostering connection. Performances became a cornerstone, with hundreds of children standing together on stage, singing in unison. For many, it was their first time performing, their first experience being heard. Those moments stayed with them.

As the years passed, Music for Minors II continued to evolve. Resource centers were built. Training programs were established locally, making it easier for volunteers to join. Carol herself became a teacher of teachers, guiding new docents for decades. The program expanded into neighboring cities and districts, even reaching after-school programs where music became part of children’s daily rhythms beyond the classroom.

Communities began to take notice. Parents, educators, and local leaders saw the difference music made. Not just in performances, but in confidence, collaboration, and academic engagement. Support grew, both in volunteers and in funding, allowing the program to sustain and expand its reach.

By the late 1990s and early 2000s, thousands of children each year were experiencing music through MFMII. Concerts brought families together. Children’s recording artists joined in, turning events into celebrations of shared joy. Volunteers were honored, not just for their service, but for the lasting impact they had on young lives.

And perhaps most telling of all, the children who once stood on stage singing returned years later, this time as parents. They remembered the songs. They remembered the feeling. And they wanted the same for their own children.

Through decades of growth, change, and expansion, one thing remained constant: the program's heart. Dedicated volunteers. A belief in the power of music. And the understanding that something as simple as a song, shared in a classroom, can ripple outward in ways no one can fully predict.

All of it began with a chant, a question, and a moment of curiosity.

And it’s still echoing today.

Nearly Four Decades of Volunteer-Powered Music Education

In the fall of 1986, a Fremont parent heard of Music for Minors – Los Altos, the mother organization serving Peninsula schools, and took their training program. She then taught all the Niles School students in Fremont, recruited additional volunteers for training, and established the nonprofit organization, Music for Minors II, in 1988. It was piloted at Niles Elementary School with seed money from Fremont Unified School District and the Candle Lighters, a local philanthropic women’s organization serving the community. A music resource center was established, and expansion began in three, then five, and eventually more elementary and preschools in local areas. 

MFMII has expanded steadily, and today it serves almost 5000 children in Fremont, Newark, and Castro Valley schools, with expansion also underway in Pleasanton and Dublin.  MFMII plans to continue its mission of reaching more and more children with community support.