“Music gives a soul to the universe, wings to the mind, flight to the imagination and life to everything,” according to Plato. That might sound a little bit flowery, but the philosophy is foundational to Janine Jones’ approach to teaching music at Osceola Magnet School.

And it seems to be working for her.

Jones was named 2026 Music Educator of the Year last month by the Florida Music Education Association for Excellence and Lifelong Impact. She was honored for the accomplishment at the Feb. 23 meeting of the Indian River County school board.

Jones, who has been teaching music for 46 years, is the lead teacher in the district for elementary school music instruction. She employs the Orff Schulwerk method in her classroom, a way of teaching that encourages children to experience music through singing, movement, rhyme and improvisation before learning notes and scales.

“Carl Orff [who created the method in the 1920s] believed children could learn music much in the same way they learn language, through imitation, exploration and improvisation,” according to musicconstructed.com. “It is a child-centered way of learning that utilizes a four-stage learning process: imitation, exploration, improvisation and literacy.”

When children explore music through exuberant play and experimentation, it penetrates into their entire being, physical and mental, and helps them better grasp what they learn in other classes, Jones said.

“Janine Jones embodies what it means to educate the whole child,” said Superintendent of Schools Dr. David Moore. “Her passion for music and her commitment to excellence have shaped countless young lives.

“The performing and fine arts are a universal language,” Moore added. “They cultivate discipline, creativity, confidence and cultural understanding in ways that extend far beyond the classroom. Students develop skills that strengthen academic achievement while also shaping empathy, collaboration and perseverance. A strong arts education prepares students not only for college and careers, but for meaningful lives as engaged citizens in a global society.”

“I find that [success in] math and sciences go hand-in-hand with music education,” Jones said, noting that Osceola Magnet has a focus on science and math.

Every year at grad walk, seniors come to see Jones and tell her what they plan to study in college, she said. “A lot of them, of course, are going into engineering or other science- or math-related fields, and I find that almost all of those students were my stronger musicians.”

One former student is studying to become a pharmacist at the University of Florida in Gainesville but still travels every weekend to perform with a drum corps group in Orlando. “To watch them grow through elementary school and have them come back to visit and share this with me is really special,” Jones said.

Numerous studies back up Jones assessment. A five-year University of Southern California study begun in 2012 found that music instruction accelerates brain development in young children, particularly the parts of the brain responsible for processing sound, language development, speech perception and reading skills.

A study by the University of British Columbia published in the Journal of Educational Psychology in 2019 found that students who study music score significantly better on math, science and English exams than their non-musical peers.

Other studies show that engaging children in music education improves cognitive development, growth in creativity, social skills and active listening.

Jones, one of nine siblings, was a child herself when she firmly decided that she wanted to teach music.

“I don’t know why, it just hit me when I was in fifth grade,” she said. “I loved music class and I couldn’t wait to get into the band. I played flute in the band. I knew I wanted to be a music teacher, and I never deviated from that.”

Today, as she looks back over more than four and a half decades in music education, Jones said she enjoys mentoring other music teachers, as well as teaching her students.

When students were surveyed recently on what electives they wanted most, music and arts were top picks, along with band and team sports, Jones said.

One way the district thrives under Moore’s leadership is by maintaining its art and music education curriculum and activities. He recently told 32963 that clubs, athletics and extracurricular activities are the number one reason the district has such a high graduation rate.

“I think you would have a hard time finding a school system that offers as many extracurricular activities as we do,” Moore said. “That is the No. 1 drop-out prevention strategy. Whether it’s football, lacrosse, the clubs – we offer [activities] at every single level at a rate [most other districts don’t].”

That includes robust music departments at the district’s two high schools, which offer not just band programs but student orchestras and ensemble opportunities.

“When a student discovers a passion for music or any other artistic pathway, that opportunity continues and deepens across the K-12 continuum, allowing talent to grow with purpose and consistency,” Moore said. “Janine Jones represents the very best of this commitment. Her achievement reflects not only her individual excellence, but the strength of a school system that believes the arts are fundamental to a world-class education.”

Again, the philosophy seems to be working, as the district earned its third straight “A” rating from the Florida Department of Education last year, with all individual schools earning either A or B grades. Since Moore began to lead the district in 2020, it has risen from being the 37th best district out of 64 in Florida to fifth best in the state.