COURTESY OF MUSIC FOR MINORS Pictured here are longtime Music For Minors supporters: from left (front), Gunilla Follett, Rachel Wagner, Ellen McKenzie and Nancy Wilde; (back) Grace Johnston, Lois Linquist, Annette Boyenga, Iris Moran, Rita Reitz and Peggy Mueller.

Music must go. That’s what happened in Los Altos in 1976 when the Los Altos School District Board of Trustees cut music education as a cost-cutting measure.

To the rescue came a group of Junior League women led by Los Altos resident Grace Johnston. They formed Music For Minors, a music education program that continues to fill a need 30 years later.

To celebrate its successes and to look toward the future, Music For Minors supporters are holding an annual gala Oct. 28 at Villa Montalvo in Saratoga.

The non-profit organization is serving more students than ever. Music For Minors has volunteer docents teaching approximately 6,000 K-3 students across San Mateo and Santa Clara counties, including many Title I schools in disadvantaged communities.

Johnston said Music For Minors began with 28 docents in two school districts. Currently, there are 104 docents.

The need for music education continues to be great, supporters said. Statistics from the state Department of Education indicate that in the last five years, 85 percent of music programs geared to young learners have disappeared in California.

Besides the docent program, Music For Minors has started an after-school program in San Jose with the San Jose Office of Cultural Affairs. In this program, a paid instructor rotates to various schools, providing 10-week thematic sessions in Latin American music.

Another new program is Music for Learning, a collaboration with the Redwood City School District and the Redwood City Education Foundation that places paid music instructors in 13 Redwood City district schools in second through fourth grades.

Johnston said Music For Minors’ vision has stayed the same: nurturing in children a lifelong love of music. To that end, docents go through a 55-hour state-certified training program.

In Music For Minors programs, children explore singing, rhythm instruments, movement, classical and folk music, and dancing while also learning about composers, music appreciation and music theory.

Johnston said the importance of music and art education has only started to resonate in recent years. “It’s been vindicated by science that music and the arts are integral for the whole person,” she said. “We’re very proud of that.”

Johnston continues involvement in Music For Minors, serving as a member of the board of directors. Another prominent member, Gunilla Follett of Los Altos, also serves on the board. Rachel Wagner of Los Altos, was a docent and board member from the beginning and has returned to the board as treasurer.

Other Los Altos-based board members include President Janet Kolstad, Sharon Barkoff, Steven D’Andrea and Dennis Ronberg, co-owner of Linden Tree Children’s Recordings and Books.

For more information about the gala or Music For Minors, call 237-9130.