Music, the brain and learning at school:
What science tells us

The Collège de France and the Vareille Foundation are organizing a symposium on May 22, 2024.

Do you
teach violin?

Every day, violin teachers help make our program a success. Join us!

France 2’s morning program
showcases A violin can change the world

Télématin journalist Carole Tolila visited Albert Camus Elementary School in Sarcelles to meet with teachers and students

About us

Explore our purpose and history.

2021 award winner
A violin can change the world

See highlights of the French Education Ministry’s National Innovation Day.

About

A violin can change the world

We created A violin can change the world to help as many disadvantaged children as possible. Our goal is to help them perform better in school by teaching them to play the violin—a challenging instrument—through regular, consistent instruction.
This sweeping experiment, launched in 2015 in Switzerland and in 2017 in France, will reach more than 8,500 students in 96 schools by the fall of 2023.
We co-created the program with national education officials in France, canton-level authorities in Switzerland, and our partner towns. We’re now working with education authorities to hand off the program and help them to deploy it on their own by 2025.

Learn more
A violin can change the world

Fast facts: Fall 2023

8500

young violinists

154

violin teachers

93

schools in France

3

schools in Switzerland

12000

children helped by 2025

A violin can change the world

Explore our program

A violin can change the world

Project fundamentals

schools

in disadvantaged areas

students

ages 4 to 8

violin teachers

are highly qualified

teaching method

is age-appropriate

3 group classes

a week, during the school day

violins

each child has their own instrument

open classes

family members are welcome

evaluation

is independent & scientific
The life of the Foundation

All the News

Music, the brain and learning at school: What science tells us

This day-long event, organized jointly by the Vareille Foundation and the Collège de France as part of its Agir pour l’Éducation* series, will offer insights…

26.03.2024
Researcher Emmanuel Bigand speaks to 300 teachers

On November 22, world-famous researcher Emmanuel Bigand gave a talk on music and cognition in Gonesse, at the invitation of the Val d’Oise Office of…

12.12.2023
Schools welcome ministers in October

In early October, two French ministers visited schools in our A violin can change the world program. On October 6, Minister of State for Children…

19.10.2023
Back to school 2023-2024

As we begin the new school year, A violin can change the world is active in 89 schools in France and Switzerland. Thanks to our…

30.09.2023
RTS program on music and the brain

On June 21 CQFD, an RTS program on science and health, celebrated World Music Day with a segment on music’s benefits for the brain. The…

10.07.2023