Restoring the Rhythm: How Save The Music and Switchfoot’s BRO-AM Are Rebuilding Music Education in East County

Access to arts education should never depend on a zip code or a family’s ability to rent an instrument. In the La Mesa-Spring Valley School District, Visual and Performing Arts Coordinator Christian Tordahl is working to make that principle a reality. Following pandemic-era budget constraints and declining enrollment that silenced long-standing band programs at Title I campuses, the district teamed up with the Save The Music Foundation and Switchfoot’s BRO-AM Foundation to put high-grade instruments directly into students’ hands. ListenSD sat down with Tordahl to discuss reviving music at Spring Valley Academy, expanding into Latin American instrumentation at STEAM Academy, and why investing in music education remains essential for youth across San Diego County.

ListenSD: To start, walk us through the landscape of the arts programs in La Mesa-Spring Valley when you first arrived, and how the partnership with Save The Music originally came together.

Christian Tordahl: Historically, La Mesa-Spring Valley had strong middle school music offerings, but over the years funding challenges hit our Title I schools particularly hard. When I joined the district four years ago following the passage of Proposition 28, leadership brought me in because we had no elementary music program and needed to expand arts access across our middle schools.

Spring Valley Academy had a long-standing music program that was lost during the pandemic due to shifting budgets and declining enrollment. When I arrived, our goal was to restore that position, which we did by braiding Prop 28 and Title I funds. However, the physical equipment had either been scattered to other campuses or fallen into disrepair. Right around that time, Tanya from Save The Music called asking if we had a school in critical need. I immediately named Spring Valley Academy, and the timing was immaculate.

ListenSD: That grant arrived through Switchfoot’s BRO-AM Foundation. What did that investment actually look like on campus, and why was that specific support so vital for this student community?

Christian Tordahl: Through the BRO-AM Foundation, Save The Music delivered an $80,000 core band grant that fully outfitted the Spring Valley Academy band with brand-new instruments, music stands, and curriculum. For this specific community, that level of support was essential.

Decades ago, band programs often assumed families could run out and rent instruments from local music shops. For many working families today, that is simply not feasible. No student should be excluded from music education because of financial barriers. To me, having direct access to instrumental music instruction is a fundamental right. Getting a complete package of new instruments gave this program the jump-start it needed to return permanently.

ListenSD: How has this investment changed the daily culture and offerings at the school? What was it like seeing the students connect directly with Switchfoot?

Christian Tordahl: When I first evaluated Spring Valley Academy, it hurt to see how limited the elective slate was. Students could essentially only choose between visual art and AVID. Now, our music classes are completely full. Beyond beginning and advanced band, we added choir, guitar, and fundamentals of music. Our new music teacher, Allison Elite, has seen so much energy and enthusiasm from the kids as they receive their instruments.

Last year, Switchfoot visited campus for an assembly with the sixth and seventh graders. They spoke with the students about picking up instruments when they were in middle school themselves, performed, and jammed with our band on Bill Withers’ “Lean on Me.” Later that month, our students joined Switchfoot on stage at the BRO-AM Beach Fest in front of roughly 30,000 people. Many of these students live just 15 minutes inland but had never spent a day at the beach before. Seeing professional artists who started in public school music rooms share a stage with them opened up possibilities they hadn’t realized existed.

ListenSD: Beyond instrument deliveries, Save The Music also provides professional development. How is that expanding across the district, particularly with your upcoming work at STEAM Academy?

Christian Tordahl: That is what sets Save The Music apart—it isn’t just dropping off gear and leaving. They provide sustained professional learning. Our music educators are collaborating on team building, vertical articulation, and cultural proficiency, including working sessions with Dr. Gregory Whitmore, who directs the wind ensemble and teaches music education at Cal State Fullerton.

Building on the success at Spring Valley Academy, our other Title I campus, STEAM Academy, was awarded the Sonidos Latinos grant this school year. Their program director has been building a strong foundation there for nearly two decades and wanted to branch out into Latin American instrumentation. Those instruments have arrived, and his students are preparing for their own opportunity to perform with Switchfoot at upcoming events this June.

ListenSD: Proposition 28 provided historic statewide funding, but music directors still face hurdles. For readers across San Diego who want to support local programs, what are the biggest challenges ahead and how can people help?

Christian Tordahl: Proposition 28 was an incredible step forward, but California arts education had been deeply underfunded since the 1970s, so we are still making up ground. Even with state allocations and grants, securing and repairing instruments remains the single largest expense. Rising tariffs on brass instruments, for instance, are actively increasing costs for school districts trying to restock band rooms.

Community members can help by staying vocal in their local school districts about prioritizing arts spending and by supporting community-driven instrument collections. Whether through organizations like Save The Music, foundation partners like BRO-AM, or donating gently used instruments directly to local school programs, placing quality gear into a classroom directly removes an economic barrier for a young musician.

ListenSD: That access is everything. Whether through ticket giveaways, supporting all-ages spaces, or teaming up with local efforts like the San Diego Music Awards’ Guitars in Schools program, we believe art and live music belong to everyone. There is so much homegrown talent coming straight out of East County—bands like The Loons have anchored La Mesa for decades—and it all begins in classrooms like yours. Thank you for the dedication and hard work you’re pouring into our local students, Christian.

Christian Tordahl: Thank you so much, and thank you for helping us share this story and supporting arts education across our community.

Interview by Narda Crossley
Photo credits: Switchfoot’s Instagram