Music Will Welcomes Steve Venz, Chief Program Officer / Chief Academic Officer

By Published On: October 18, 2019

Music Will welcomes Steve Venz as their first Chief Program Officer / Chief Academic Officer. Steve Venz has been transforming public education through the arts in Los Angeles and Orange County for over 20 years and is excited to be bringing his unique point of view on the future of music education to the organization. Starting in 2002 as the Los Angeles Unified School District’s (LAUSD) music administrator, Steve led the development and implementation of a district-wide plan to address the lack of student access to music education throughout the city.

“Whether teaching in a classroom, working in a professional development setting, or serving as an administrator, Steve Venz makes a difference in the lives of individuals. Regardless of the educational setting, Steve unites people in common purpose for the betterment of all music education.”
– Frank Heuser, Associate Professor, University of California, Los Angeles Department of Music

Steve became the founding principal of the award-winning Quincy Jones Elementary School in 2010. As recognized by leaders in education, the school substantially increased student academic achievement, along with one of the highest student attendance and parent participation rates in Los Angeles. He was recognized by United Teachers of Los Angeles as one of the top twenty principals in LAUSD.

“In our advocacy and policy work we address issues on multiple levels – from the classroom, to the principal’s office, to the school district, to the county office of education, to the state legislature, and occasionally at the national level. Steve is the one person I’ve worked with whose experience and expertise encompasses all of those domains. Even more importantly, his efforts embody the spirit of an artist – innovative, relentless, bold, and deeply connected to what matters most – the kids.”
– Joe Landon, Executive Director, California Alliance for Arts Education

In 2014, Steve was appointed Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator for the Orange County Department of Education, serving 500,000 K-12th grade students in 27 school districts in Orange County, California. Over three years, arts education increased throughout the county by 32% with the launching of new initiatives that focused on advocacy efforts to increase arts and STEAM instruction, particularly for Title I students, English Learners, and students with diverse abilities.

“We worked with Steve throughout our three-year state policy initiative and we counted on him to help explain the ground-level truth of how schools, and districts, administer arts education. Congratulations to Music Will for bringing in Steve to advance your programmatic leadership of music education.”
– Narric W. Rome, Vice President of Government Affairs & Arts Education, Americans for the Arts

Having served previously on the Music Will board of directors, Steve brings with him the knowledge that will support the 18-year-old organization in its growth phase. With Steve’s leadership as the organization’s first-ever chief-level academic officer, Music Will anticipates large-scale impact in the music education space.