There is a pressing need for effective and engaging strengths-based prevention models that promote resilience among at-risk urban youth. Music education is a promising vehicle, though often less available and underfunded in high-poverty, disadvantaged schools. Youth involvement in musical training appears to enhance the development of critical life-skills such as discipline, self-control and perseverance. Such life skills are linked to lower rates of substance use, and improved GPA, self-confidence, and conduct. To examine these issues, the Ware Foundation funded “Project TREBLE” (Testing Resilience in an Ensemble-Based Learning Environment), a collaboration between the Florida International University’s Community-Based Intervention Research Group (C-BIRG) and the Miami Music Project (MMP). MMP, founded by world-renowned conductor James Judd, is an innovative music education program that provides free after-school ensemble-based musical instruction to urban minority youth across Miami-Dade County. The purpose of Project TREBLE is a rigorous examination of how participation in MMP impacts the lives of youth. Incorporating a Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR) approach, we successfully engaged the MMP community and met recruitment goals for year 1. Students (n= 59), their parents, and their MMP music teachers were followed over the course of the school year. Preliminary results are interesting. Project TREBLE student participants were age 8 to 17 years old, 44% female, 83% Hispanic, and 27% foreign born. Most parents (> 80%) reported noticeable improvement in their child’s life skills across a variety of domains including confidence, concentration, time management, creativity, self-esteem, communication and leadership. Parents attributed these gains to their children’s participation in MMP. Preliminary results suggest that involvement in this innovative and accessible music education program has a powerful positive impact on youth life skills.