The Música nas Escolas (Music at Schools) Project is an initiative by the Barra Mansa City Hall which started in 2003, having as its sponsors two private-sector companies through the Rouanet Law by the Ministry of Culture. One of the companies is Votorantim Siderurgia. Helped by VS, the project was expanded in 2007 for 50 city-teaching-network schools, and 5 thousand children and young adults up to 29 years old. The students may have their choice of a wind, string or percussion instrument and participate in the bands formed by the older students in the project.

There are various musical formations within the project, such as the Barra Mansa Symphony Orchestra and the Symphony Band formed by young musicians who are also teachers, monitors and receive a scholarship, benefit granted to the students who stand out in the project. These bands in special participate in musical contests all over the country, and they are granted quite a few awards showing the quality of the Project throughout Brazil.

In 2009, a new project will be implemented in Barra Mansa: the Criando Cultura Produzindo Sonhos (Creating Culture Fabricating Dreams) Project, a partnership with the Friends-in-Culture NGO that aims to qualify 100 teenagers between 15 and 18 years old from the neighborhoods of Vila Maria, Saudade, Vista Alegre, and Vila Nova to work as sociocultural action agents in their communities. Through audiovisual, music and rhythm, scenic arts, dancing and movement, and plastic arts workshops, the young people will study about cultural management and citizen awareness. At the end of each module there will be a Creating Culture Exhibit, an opportunity for the students to present their work.