Impact
“ Detroit Harmony is something that I'm blessed to be a part of because now my kids have instruments. ”
Denzel Donald, Detroit Prep Music Teacher
More than an instrument donation program, Detroit Harmony's (DH) collaboration with Detroit Prep music teacher, Denzel Donald, illustrates the breadth of the DH mission: supporting existing music programs to reach their music education goals in Detroit. In December 2022, DH visited Denzel's classroom to bring 100 refurbished instruments to their new home.
"I'm grateful to finally be in a place where we will physically have instruments, we'll have a program that will grow," said Denzel. "The music program is going to take time to build and to mature. However, my overall goal is for the kids to not only enjoy what they're doing, but for us to get a chance to go places and showcase the things that we've been working towards. For example, things like the Michigan School Band and Orchestra Association festival and competitions at Cedar Point. Different local and national things that we can just get a chance to dive into and really show who Detroit Prep is and how far we've come and where we've come from."
"Music fills in all the gaps when it comes to learning. Music allows kids to have a sense of critical thinking. It allows kids to be able to understand things, have a well breadth of coverage in other areas. Music is something that gives personality. Music is a confidence booster. Music gives kids different perspectives on education. And my goal is to make sure that I am giving them the opportunity to have a strong future for themselves, even if they're not planning to be a musician."