About Us

We believe that all kids, regardless of socioeconomic status or geographic location, deserve access to music education. Founded in 1998 in Portland, Oregon, Ethos is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that provides music lessons, group classes, camps, multicultural performances and workshops to more than 7,000 students across Oregon each year. Initial classes were held in a basement at the University of Portland and staffed by a dedicated group of volunteers. Since then, we have purchased and remodeled our North Portland headquarters where we employ nine full-time staff, eight full-time AmeriCorps members and 52 part-time music instructors. The President’s Commission on the Arts and Humanities has named Ethos one of the top 50 after-school arts programs in the U.S. six times since 2003.