Joshua

I spent years as a professional musician playing all over the world. One of the things I loved most about it was how music made me feel connected to a global community. I have friends from every continent, and no matter our backgrounds, culture, religion, or politics, we can always connect through playing music.

That experience inspired me to create a special music program designed to help kids connect with each other through music. We teach kids to support one another, and to feel supported because we want them to learn how to be a valuable (and valued) member of their community. I believe that’s one of the most important human skills, and music is a beautiful way to teach it.

I spent years developing this program that I designed to connect and empower young musicians. I taught it in public and private schools, and as an after-school program. I’ve watched thousands of kids learn, grow, and connect through music. Knowing I had something special, I decided to pursue a PhD in music education to make sure the program could be the best it could be.

Two years ago, I finished my doctorate and decided to expand the program into a local music school, with the hope of growing it into a national—maybe even global—musical community. In two years, we’ve gone from 50 students to a vibrant and diverse community of over 150 students and 12 teachers. renting out space at a local church. Now, we need a place of our own to keep growing. We need new instruments, furniture, and help with move-in costs so we can continue expanding and welcoming more students into our community.