Part of living up to the Music City monicker is making sure music education in Nashville schools is top notch. That’s the message today from city leaders announcing a new plan to expand school music programs to include training that lines up with what happens in places like Music Row.

Organizers say students will try their hand at songwriting, recording, and sound mixing. And eventually, they say local venues plan to create new performance opportunities for students.

Mayor Karl Dean announces the “Music Makes Us” effort from the stage of the Ryman.

The hope is for private donations to cover much of the costs. Gaylord Entertainment CEO Collin Reed says he’s ready to talk dollars. Because his company trades on music tourism, he says investment in future musicians makes good business sense.

“This program really will help sow the seeds for the future, make sure that we have folks leaving school as talented as the folks that we have today, and I really do think that’s tremendous for business, tremendous for this city.”

Metro Schools is creating a new Office of Music Education, which will develop the new curriculum this year. If all goes according to schedule, lessons will begin district wide in elementary and middle schools next year, with high school set to follow in 2013.