WPA Federal Music Project

United States history

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July 16, 2026

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The WPA Federal Music Project was a program established in 1935 under President Franklin D. Roosevelt's New Deal during the Great Depression. Its primary goal was to provide employment for musicians and other arts professionals, preserving their skills and contributing to society.12

The project sponsored free concerts and facilitated the transcription of various musical forms, including sea chanteys, cowboy songs, folk songs, Indian dances, Quaker hymns, and Negro spirituals. This initiative aimed to make music accessible to the public and preserve a wide range of American musical heritage. The Federal Music Project was part of the larger Works Progress Administration (WPA), which employed millions of people in various public works and cultural programs from 1935 to 1943.21

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Great Depression
Federal arts programs
…the Federal Art Project, the Federal Music Project, the Federal Writers’ Project, and the Federal Theatre Project as part of the WPA; thousands of artists, architects, and educators found work in American museums, which flourished during the Great Depression.
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…the Federal Art Project, the Federal Music Project, the Federal Writers’ Project, and the Federal Theatre Project as part of the WPA; thousands of artists, architects, and educators found work in American museums, which flourished during the Great Depression.
Read More