Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:01):
Welcome to Light Up to D'll focus on what's happening
in our community from the people who make it happen.
Here's your host, iHeartMedia Detroit Market President Colleen Grant.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Good morning and welcome to another episode of LODIFTD. I'm
your host, Colleen Grant. Thanks for joining me this morning.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
I'm really excited to have my guests in today because
they're doing so such cool work in the community. Wait
till you hear about it. We have Damien Crutcher. He
is a Detroit native and a Castech High School graduate.
He holds a bachelor's in music education from Michigan State
and a master's in conducting from U of M. Kutcher's
conducting career includes performances at Carnegie Hall, the Detroit Symphony
(00:42):
Orchestra Hall, and many other locations. He's the CEO of
Crescenda Detroit, managing director of Detroit Symphony's Detroit Harmony, which
we're discussing today, and conductor of the Farmington and Detroit
Community Concert Bands. Our second guest today is Aaron Faarnar's
is a Detroit area music educator with thirteen years of experience.
(01:04):
She holds a bachelor's in Music Education from Eastern Michigan University.
She's currently working as the Partnerships and Services Coordinator for
Detroit Harmony and is a K through five general music
and beginning instrumental teacher in Dearborn. Very busy Aaron. Aaron
most recently was the recipient of the Save the Music
(01:24):
Core Band Grant for the Dearborn Public School System, a
five to ten year partnership that will work to provide
class sets of band instruments to each of the twenty
one elementary schools in the Dearborn District. Please join me
and welcome ming, Damian and Erin. Thank you for being
here today.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
Thank you for inviting us.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
So let's tell everybody what Detroit Harmony is. Who wants
to start?
Speaker 5 (01:46):
I'll start, okay, great? First of all, thanks for having
us here today.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
For being here, Damien, good.
Speaker 6 (01:51):
To be here.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
Of Detroit Harmony is a DSO initiative, but it's a
citywide collaboration, and the DSO started to make sure that
every kid in Detroit had access to music education and instruments.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Anything to add from you, Erin Treit Harmony is any
person who wants to be involved in music in any way. Okay,
So the Detroit Symphony Orchestra is involved. Tell me about
the relationship between the DSO and Detroit Harmony.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
So the DSO start at Detroit Harmony. So we're housed
at the DSO. Okay, so we are employees of the
Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Okay, And tell me the ways that you help children
get instruments or become, you know, involved in music education.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
So Detroit Harmony goes out into the community with our instruments.
So we have wind instruments and string instruments, and we
let anybody and everybody try the instruments at these events.
So it could be partner organizations that invite us to
their events. We've done events at the Detroit Public Library,
We've done events at Detroit parks, and we get you know,
(02:59):
all ages of people trying instruments. And then if they
are interested in an instrument, they have a need for
an instrument at home, they contact me and we set
set up a pickup time to get an instrument at
the Detroit Harmony building.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Wow. And what does it mean to a kid to
get an instrument?
Speaker 5 (03:15):
Oh, well, it's life changing, I think just the first moment,
moment that they open the case and see it. It's
one of the best moments you'll ever see. Yes, you know,
and just playing an instrument make it those first sounds.
And then for us that that teach music and do
programs like this, we look forward to watching their journey.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
So you know, you can just visualize the child opening
the case, you know, and there it is, and come on,
instruments are so beautiful first of all, like they're so gorgeous.
And then I remember when my kids first tried instruments
to figure out what they were going to play in
middle school, you know, when they came home and they're like, well,
it's either this or that, you know, and it's so exciting.
(03:59):
Tell me about you know, when you do these events
and the kids try it, you know, what do you
expect to have happen next to them and what journey
happens over time.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
For us at Detrade Harmony, we want to make sure
that we build a community around that student, that they
stay motivated, and that we build all of these amazing
partnerships across the city with nonprofits and music teachers, and
we're here to support them.
Speaker 6 (04:25):
And if you support teachers, they can make sure.
Speaker 5 (04:28):
That kids do well, and that's why Aaron's position was
so important, which was created a year and a half
ago at the DSL. So she makes sure that each
student not only gets the instrument, but that each student
isn't a program. If they're not in a program, then
she places them in a program and then we make
sure that those students are doing well. If they need
(04:49):
more performing opportunities, we make sure they get they get
what they need, so we support them as long as
they have in the instrument.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Music aids you can is so important to kids. Talk
a little bit about that.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
I think Damien touched on a great thing. The sense
of community that you get being involved in a musical
ensemble is so important, and it's it's for life, right.
I have friends from high school band, college band, and
now my husband and I are in Damien's adult group
at the Dso it's that sense of community is so
(05:24):
important and you come together with people of all walks
of life when you play in an ensemble.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
And it's nothing like being on a stage to have
a people applaud yes, right, to have that affirming thing
happened for you as a kid. As an adult, we
like applause you know, but as a kid, the first
time they'd sit there and they're playing Mary had a
little lamb and it sounds awful, and their parents are like, yeah,
and our students need more of that, more of those
(05:51):
kinds of affirming things in their lives. And for me,
I mean, you know, I was born and raised in Detroit,
and music education absolutely, you know, changed my life forever,
tell me about it. I played trumpet at elementary and
middle school. I had a tremendous general music teacher Detroit,
David Williams Uh.
Speaker 6 (06:12):
He was black.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
He had graduated from cast Tech Michigan State way back
in the day, and he inspired us to learn all
kinds of music and all genres. And then when I
got the cast Tech, I switched to French horn because
that was such a horrible trumpet player.
Speaker 6 (06:25):
I know.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
My bad director said, mister Crutcher, this is not working.
He said, so you should play something different. And so
I happened to be watching PBS. I have no idea
why I'm watching watching PBS at sixteen, and I saw
the what I would learn later to be called the
French horn, which.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Is I have. It's one of my very favorite instruments.
It's so majestic.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Yes, you know, you always hear it like as the
angels are coming down from the clouds, and it's of
course it's always the French horn or war.
Speaker 5 (06:54):
Is happening, and then it has this ability to be beautiful,
full and soft.
Speaker 6 (07:01):
Yeah, and it's a it's a.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
It's such a victorious instrument and it's an.
Speaker 5 (07:04):
Awful instrument to play. It's beautiful, but it's treacherous. Why
is that Because there was a famous French worn player
when I was growing up. His name was Barry Tuckwell
out of England. He's described playing frenchhorn as being like
driving a mac truck on ice, because you could be
playing well and doing well and it'll just go off
the road on you.
Speaker 6 (07:26):
You'll start missing notes.
Speaker 5 (07:27):
And so a lot of French one players have this
love hate relationship. But but that playing French one and
being a black French horness back in the day because
there weren't many, it allowed me to go to interlock
in Michigan State, Michigan, and then to do all of
the things that I love to do now. So I
take this, you know, I take this journey and this
job very seriously.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Oh, it's just so wonderful and now you're helping other
kids have that journey. Absolutely, how exciting is that. How
did you get involved in Detroit Armed Harmony, Aaron?
Speaker 4 (07:56):
I was a volunteer two years before I got the job.
So Damien put out a call to everybody and anybody.
He knew that he needed volunteers for these instrument explorations
that were happening throughout the city. And my husband and
I are both music educators in the area. And you
know what he asked, and we said, yes, anything Damien
asked is is a yes. Yeah, he is a fabulous
(08:20):
human being and a music educator, and yes, it's an
absolute yes. And so we volunteered for the music explorations
throughout the city. And then he had a need once
they collected the instruments for Detroit Harmony, they were all
up in this lovely little attic across from the from
Orchestra Hall. He had a need to go through the
instruments and see what was playable, what needed repair, and
(08:43):
what was just you know, needed recycled. And so I
was a volunteer for those two years and then just
this job just kind of opened up. He encouraged me
to apply and I accepted the job because of Damien,
because of the human he is and the music you know,
music educator that he is in this ERAa, he's a
jum and we are lucky to have him.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
OA.
Speaker 6 (09:05):
We're gonna start crying.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Job.
Speaker 5 (09:11):
It's beautiful and the feeling is mutual and in our
in the music community, it's like that, you know, we're
all pretty close friends.
Speaker 6 (09:20):
We look out for each other. And the DSO was smart.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
They recognized that I couldn't do it all and I
did not have the capacity, nor was I working in
the areas I'm most I should be like, I'm not
super super organized. So to have two thousand instruments, I
just sit there and looked at them, like, oh my god,
what am I gonna do? So you need someone who
has the capacity, who's organized, and also who loves Detroit.
Speaker 6 (09:46):
And Aaron loves Detroit and I love that about her.
Speaker 5 (09:49):
She respects the people and the citizens and she does
a great job of that. And then yeah, we had
about forty applicants for the job and then we nariled
it down to Aaron. It's been a great run too.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
That's great. How did you get involved in Detroit Harmony?
Speaker 6 (10:04):
Damien I was already doing too much.
Speaker 5 (10:11):
I was doing some work at the DSO, conducting some ensembles,
and then I was running my own nonprofit, Crescendo Detroit,
and I knew that the DSO was thinking about this,
and honestly I wanted to know parts of it.
Speaker 6 (10:24):
I just thought I've got enough to do.
Speaker 5 (10:27):
But then during the shutdown, you know, I had this
nagging voice telling me you have to you have to apply.
Speaker 6 (10:34):
So I called them and sold I'm interested.
Speaker 5 (10:36):
And so after fourteen interviews, they hired me to do
the job those five years ago. And it's been the
best part of what I do because it allows me
to gather all of my friends and all of the
resources and do some great stuff for kids in Detroit.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Well, let's talk about that great stuff. What are the
areas of focus for Detroit Harmony?
Speaker 5 (10:57):
So our primary area of focus it's Detroit, you know, Detroit.
But also if we find a students somewhere else who
needs an instrument and we have it, we're not gonna
let that kid go with that, right, So we just
sent a couple kenya yeah to students would Haven.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Dear Born north of Detroit, Hazel Park, Oak Park. So
they're all out there. And we also sent a little
over fifty instruments to a school in California in the
spring that burned down due to the wildfires, and they
had a need for instruments at their middle school, so
(11:38):
we sent those out, got them shipped out with a
national partner, so they're out there.
Speaker 5 (11:46):
Really for us, our focus again it is the instrument,
but it's it's really the what happens around the instrument
that is really important. You talk about that, you know,
like for Aaron and I, we would not be here
now if we had not had access to private lessons
to actually study your instrument with someone who really knows
(12:07):
how to play it. So I had a scholarship come
to me at cash Tech that allowed me to study
with Brian Kennedy of the DSO. He was a second
horn player and so while I was not as good
as Brian was, I kind of sounded like him, which
got me into MSU Wow and so his horn that
he won his DSO audition on. I received another scholarship,
(12:29):
but I bought that instrument, so I play on his instruments.
So those private lessons and those connections are important for musicians.
And then you meet teachers and they know the professor
at the different schools. It is all of that that
is sort important and you get really good on your
instrument I mean, which is I mean, it's nothing like that.
Speaker 6 (12:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
We started a mobile lessons program in the spring and
from April to the beginning of June, we sponsored over
two hundred lessons wow students in the Detroit area. And
the thirteen teaching assistants or teaching artists that we had
were all from Detroit, had some sort of tie to Detroit.
(13:12):
They went to the schools to teach the kids during school,
so there was no barrier of the student having to
get to the lesson. And then we had a recital
in June. Almost all the students participated. It was one
of the most beautiful moments of this job that I've
had yet, and I've had many beautiful moments of this job.
Speaker 6 (13:30):
So a lot of that comes from our listening.
Speaker 5 (13:32):
So at the center of the work that we do
at the DSL, in the Learning Engagement Department, which we
are part of, at the center of it is listening.
So we listened to detroiters. We ask them what do
you need? What do you want? Because you know how
it is. Sometimes people swoop into the city and start
these things and we're like, well, what is that?
Speaker 6 (13:50):
And it doesn't survive? What does it work?
Speaker 5 (13:52):
So we asked them what they wanted in my music
education work group that I started five years ago. They said,
you know, we need private lessons and we need the
lessons to go to where the kids are so we
eliminate the barriers. So for those people in the work group, UH,
to see this private les program come to Fruition was awesome.
(14:15):
And again, every teacher has a tie to Detroit. Like
Ed Quick was the founding band director at Detroitsch of
the Arts. He taught clarinet. Mark Hoss was the former
orchestra teacher at cast Tech. He's teaching Base. He's an
amazing based teacher.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Yes, he taught seven seven based kids and then he
is teaching five this summer.
Speaker 5 (14:40):
And three of two of them had all been playing
for one or two years classical base and they auditioned
for our youth groups at the DNSO and both of
them made the top orchestra. Both of these kids, so
this you know, and then we have Carlon Harper and
Cole Randolph from the orchestra. He's the black cellist who
made the orchestra and his sister like they were part
(15:02):
of the program, which I thought, like was amazing.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
They went and taught at cast Tech and the students
and the teacher were very impressed with you know, the
work that they did there.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
So we do a lot of Yeah, so the focus areas,
a lot of focus areas that's important to us. And
then workforce development that's a part of it too.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
But so when we talk about your like the who
helped support the Detroit Harmony team, is that all of
these people that you're talking about and who else?
Speaker 6 (15:28):
Right, So it's a I have a leadership team.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
We have a leadership team, a music education work group,
a workforce development work group, instrument acquisition work group.
Speaker 6 (15:36):
We have a list of volunteers.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
About forty volunteers that are retired teachers, college students from
all walks of life, and they help us with instruments
and instrument explorations.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
And then the dso's you know, advancement team raises the money.
So we work in we work hand in hand with
them to tell the stories, to share the stories, and
they work hard to write the grants and raise the
money so that we could do what we could do.
One of our young students, Timothy Abrams, who started with
(16:13):
me when he was in sixth grade, I think in
the Honor Band. One of the hardest working young man
I've ever met. He had a chance this last year
to attend the Interlock and Arts Academy and he got
some scholarship. But our advancement team in Chris Antonio, who
(16:35):
had our department, made it work. So this his full
tuition was paid and it's about eighty thousand dollars wows
and so he'll be attending ccs UH in the he's
a he's a terrific trumpet player, but he's an even
better animator.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Yeah, he's very talented, very talented.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
So so we work hand in hand with with the
development department advancement to share these stories.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
So how do you know you were saying that there
were these two thousand instruments, and you know they had
to be evaluated for whether they needed repairs and were
they usable and so forth, But how did those even
get to you? Let's talk about how these instruments get
to you?
Speaker 6 (17:23):
Okay, well, yeah, it's interesting, it's crazy. The first.
Speaker 5 (17:28):
When I first started, Paul Drubis, who was co chair
of my instrument group, said we need to do something,
so let's have a drive. So we set up an
instrument drive and we had drop off locations across the
state of Michigan. So people, we put the word out.
I got on Fox two. One of my former student students,
(17:50):
Michael ester May, was the meteorologist on Fox two, so
we had me on and just we started talking about it.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (17:57):
They we gave people specific days and they dropped off
styments across the state of Michigan, and then Paul and
I would rent a truck and go pick and we're.
Speaker 6 (18:05):
Not doing that this time. We're not doing this.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
We have tools, so we were driving around to just
pick up instruments or people could drop them off at
the hall. Our security team at the DSO is extraordinary.
They'll take them for us and all of them. Yeah,
So that's kind of how the instrument drive worked the
last time. Aaron's gonna do a like a better job
this next time. In October, we're having another one and
we're gonna like have all hands on deck.
Speaker 6 (18:29):
State wise, state wise, state wide. Yeah, and you know
what to take the truth calling they never stopped coming.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
I get an email almost every day about somebody wanting
to donate an instrument. So we either set up a
time that I can pick it up or they can
drop it off. Amazing music repair partners A G and
mc court's music there drop off points year round.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Oh really okay, and again it's mc courts and who.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
Else mc courts and ang Central Music and Troy Michigan
Troy okay, yeah, and there they will make sure that
the instrument gets to us repaired and ready to go,
and then they can also drop them off at the hall.
Like Demian said, our security team is amazing and they
know right what to do with these.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Instruments and what kind of instruments will you take?
Speaker 4 (19:11):
We will take any instrument aside from pianos.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
I can't grab my piano and drag it up, no.
Speaker 6 (19:22):
Guess what we can.
Speaker 5 (19:23):
We can say that all we want, but we get
a We get an email every.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
Day about an email or an organ right now.
Speaker 5 (19:31):
Sometimes if it's the right organ, we'll take it. Because
the Black churches to Detroit love Hammon's. Oh yeah, so
well you know we'll take So we come across a
ham and we'll take it, and I'll let the churches
know I got it here and they'll be there like
we'll be there tomorrow to get it. But the pianos,
we just just we don't have the space to store them.
And people just don't like like our grandparents like grand
(19:54):
pianos in the living room.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
They just don't kind of instrument really except piano.
Speaker 5 (20:02):
Yep so flues, the clarinet, saxophones, violins, violas, cellos, cellos, trumpets, horns, keyboards.
We will take keyboards, electric keyboards, guitars. We had a
program in Southwest Detroit that needed some guitars, so we
gifted them twenty two guitars. And then also if there
(20:23):
are any harpists out there, we could use some harps.
Speaker 4 (20:25):
Yes, we have a class at a School of Music
Detroit run by MSU and they have a heart class
that has I think twelve students.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Wow, that's quite a few, and we could use some
more harps to help them. If you have a harp
out there.
Speaker 6 (20:42):
Any size, any size.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
And the thing is that is that cast Tech has
the oldest harp program in the country really and next
year they're going to be celebrating their one hundredth anniversary.
And so the teacher that Lydia Claver is a classmate
of mine at Michigan. She wanted us to start a
beginning program and issue it. Then we're gonna help them
celebrate next year. So we need some more instruments. It's
(21:04):
gonna be an amazing year. There's so many harpists across
the country got their start here in Detroit at cast
tach cast Tech. Absolutely, if you go there, ask to
see the harp room, you're gonna.
Speaker 6 (21:16):
Be beautiful, beful, well.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
Twelve fifteen, twelve thirteen harps maybe in the real size.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Just call it the harp education Capital of the world. Yea,
the hearp education capital.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
Of the right.
Speaker 5 (21:30):
There there have been four We're three major teachers there,
Velma Fraud, Pat Terry ross Lydia Cleeford, and they were
all students of each other, you know. So we're gonna
help them celebrate. So yeah, any harps out there, send
them harp way. We've got wonderful kids in Detroit who
are learning an amazing instrument.
Speaker 6 (21:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Wow, that's just so beautiful. Hey, tell me about your
your event in October.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
Okay, so that's the instrument Drive. Yes, So that's going
to be running from October sixth to October thirty first,
and Angie and the Courts will definitely be drop off
points as well as Orchestra Hall, and then we're going
to be working on other drop off points throughout the state.
That list will be coming out soon, probably beginning of September.
Speaker 5 (22:15):
Yes, and WDIV Channel four is going to have a
drop off day at their site at their stations will
recordinating that now. And so you know, go through your
closets and garage and back of your cars and grab
those instruments, no matter what that condition they're in.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
Yeah, we will take them in pieces, we'll take them
without cases. Our music repair shops have done amazing things
with recycling the instruments, taking the pieces and returning you know,
full sized instruments ready to go for kids.
Speaker 6 (22:44):
And our partners have been amazing.
Speaker 5 (22:46):
We were just at ang Central Music and we have
some students right now at a couple of places learning
how to prepare instruments.
Speaker 6 (22:58):
So they're taking lessons and instrum repair.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Oh how interesting.
Speaker 5 (23:01):
Yeah, that's part of our workforce development. Let's talk about
your workforce work development piece. We we want to be
a part of the larger ecosystem in Detroit to make
sure that we're offering training and opportunities for DETROITUS of
all age. So for our part, we've started an instrument
repair lessons program. We have seven seven people studying and
(23:24):
they're like from high school to grown adults studying instrument
repair because one thing about it, there's a national shortage
of instrument repair texts. So if you learn a little bit,
you'll get a job. Yes here Actually three of our
students have already been offered, but one of us is
(23:45):
going to be offered a job tomorrow. It doesn't know
that three of them have job offers already. So we
want to be a part of that.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
A part of that lifelong career.
Speaker 6 (23:55):
Lifelong career. And you know.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
There's a Clasaron at us and she only takes her
instrument to one place. I'm a French tromp player. French
romp players. We take ours to Chicago like your person
is like your best friend.
Speaker 6 (24:11):
Yes, so we could be a very lucrative. So that's
what we're doing.
Speaker 5 (24:14):
As far as workforce development, those kind of trainings at
the dso also as far as workforce development, you know,
we have interns that come through even as we hire
our teaching artists that teach our kids, our teaching artists
are paid the same rate as DSO members because we
want to make sure that we're employing We're employing young
(24:35):
artists like Ladero who's a saxophone player, sax appeal, who
went to DSA. We said, we want you to teach
some set. So you know, he's like, oh, I'm going
to make this. Yes, you're a professional. And we want
to make sure that he stays in Detroit and teaches
and plays.
Speaker 6 (24:51):
So that's part of our workforce development thing, you know.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
And I'm on the Detroit Entertainment Commission, so that's part
of what we do. We want to retain, you know,
and keep people here in Detroit. Yes, and I keep
reminding folks that Detroit is the musical capital of the world.
Speaker 6 (25:08):
There's no other place that compares to Detroit when it
comes to music.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
That is very true.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
How can organizations partner with Detroit Harmony?
Speaker 6 (25:20):
They could, Yeah, they could. They could.
Speaker 5 (25:21):
They could reach out to us, Aaron and myself, and
we will find a place.
Speaker 6 (25:27):
They can.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
They can hold a they can hold a drive at
their office. They could just bring more awareness to what
we're doing.
Speaker 6 (25:37):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
They can make monetary donations whatever, they could come help
us out at instrument explorations. We always the volunteers to
man all the kids at the events that we have,
so we would love to have volunteers and organizations be apart,
especially October, would be great if they would team up
with us.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Okay, and you just go to Detroit Harmony dot org.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
If you look up Detroy Harmony d s O, it'll
come up with our page. We have a page on
the DSO website. You can also email me. You'll find
my email there e Faarinars at DSO dot org and
I will get right back to you.
Speaker 6 (26:11):
And you could you can email me. You can, they
can message me on Facebook.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
They can google me to my house that's trying to
drop off an instrument because people, the people have dropped
off music at my house.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
I mean we've gotten some in the mail.
Speaker 5 (26:28):
So yeah, they could get they could catch us anyway
to come to Orchestra Hall and just yell our names
and someone will someone will find us.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
I love that talk about why it's so important with
the work that you do for the city of Detroit.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
I think for me, you know, I'm a Detroit and
I love my city and my city made me who
I am and it's a it's a vibrant place full
of amazing people. My neighbors I grew up with, they
all pushed me along the way. I remember one neighbor
I was walking down the street with my French horn
and he's come here.
Speaker 6 (27:01):
He says, I want you to keep going. He said,
don't stop.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
So, yeah, you love remembering things like that, I do.
Speaker 5 (27:10):
I had a lot of people along the way in
Detroit who taught me a lot of things, and so
it's just my turn to give back and open up
the door for other students. We have a student at
University of Michigan studying classical base, Troy Perkins, who just
got back from like a fifteen day tour.
Speaker 6 (27:26):
Of South Africa.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
Wow.
Speaker 5 (27:28):
So we're kind of opening up these doors for other
young people. And now he's back teaching lessons with his teacher,
Mark cos and he gave his old base to one
of the young guys playing bangs. So we're just gonna
return the favorite.
Speaker 6 (27:41):
That's what Detroiters do. Like you.
Speaker 5 (27:43):
One thing about Detroiters, they're not gonn let you be
hungry or homeless or out there.
Speaker 6 (27:48):
They're going to help you out. So that's kind of
where I come from.
Speaker 4 (27:52):
And you know, both my my husband and I are
music educators, and I just music is for everybody, and
I want to make sure that that's known the city.
This work is so important and this job for the
past year and a half has filled my soul as
a music educator, just seeing you know, anybody, all walks
of life try out instruments and then receive an instrument
(28:14):
of their own, and then if they need lessons, we
can help them, you know, with lessons and gosh, we've
gotten music donated to us, so if they need music,
we have that there. We have concert clothing, so if
you need clothing for your concert, it's there. Just this
work is so important and I'm loving giving back to
the city.
Speaker 5 (28:31):
And our next next task is to connect the current
kids with our legends in Detroit. So legends like Marion Hayden,
Ralph Armstrong, Wendell Harrison, Pamela Wise, like Michelle May, Pat
Terry Ross, like we have this amazing classical and jazz
(28:53):
musicians and R and B and gospel. I mean, we
it's Detroit, and we really want to connect our students
with their past because we know if they know their history,
you know, that's always a good thing.
Speaker 6 (29:05):
So that's our next phase.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
They're waiting, these folks are waiting to pass on their legacy,
their stories, and their gifts. So now we're just trying
to figure out a way to make that happen. And
that's important for Detroit. Right as we celebrate Detroit and
all of the amazing people that have come out of
the city, what.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
Else does the future hold for Detroit Harmony.
Speaker 6 (29:27):
I think for us, it's.
Speaker 5 (29:31):
We want to let every student in Detroit know that
music education is for them. We want to support every
music teacher out there who is doing their best to teach.
We want to support every nonprofit that does anything in
the city, but especially if they work in the arts.
Speaker 6 (29:53):
We want to.
Speaker 5 (29:55):
Help them publicize what they do, help them get kids,
help them locate funding if we can. That's the thing.
We're not going to stop until we reach all one
hundred and twenty six thousand school age kids in Detroit.
Speaker 6 (30:10):
Then I'll retire health.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
I learn enough lessons by that I will know how
to do that.
Speaker 6 (30:22):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
Helping kids play music what it's all about.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
Yes, and any kind of music, any.
Speaker 6 (30:30):
Kind of music, it doesn't matter.
Speaker 5 (30:32):
You know, all music is equal and Like I said,
that's the great thing about Detroit. You can you can
hear mariachi, you can hear techno. We've got the greatest
gospel artists in the world, rappers, it doesn't matter what
it is, we have it. So whatever kids want to study,
we let them study.
Speaker 3 (30:50):
Our beautiful guests today have been Damien Cruncher, Managing director
of Detroit Harmony and Aaron Fahnaurs, Detroit Harmony Partnerships and
Services Ordinator. Thanks for joining us today, you guys.
Speaker 6 (31:02):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (31:03):
This was wonderful.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
This has been light Up the D, a community affairs
program from iHeartMedia Detroit. If your organization would like to
get on the program, email Colleen Grant at iHeartMedia dot com.
Here are all episodes on this station's podcast page.
Welcome to Light Up to D'll focus on what's happening
in our community from the people who make it happen.
Here's your host, iHeartMedia Detroit Market President Colleen Grant.
Speaker 2 (00:13):
Good morning and welcome to another episode of LODIFTD. I'm
your host, Colleen Grant. Thanks for joining me this morning.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
I'm really excited to have my guests in today because
they're doing so such cool work in the community. Wait
till you hear about it. We have Damien Crutcher. He
is a Detroit native and a Castech High School graduate.
He holds a bachelor's in music education from Michigan State
and a master's in conducting from U of M. Kutcher's
conducting career includes performances at Carnegie Hall, the Detroit Symphony
(00:42):
Orchestra Hall, and many other locations. He's the CEO of
Crescenda Detroit, managing director of Detroit Symphony's Detroit Harmony, which
we're discussing today, and conductor of the Farmington and Detroit
Community Concert Bands. Our second guest today is Aaron Faarnar's
is a Detroit area music educator with thirteen years of experience.
(01:04):
She holds a bachelor's in Music Education from Eastern Michigan University.
She's currently working as the Partnerships and Services Coordinator for
Detroit Harmony and is a K through five general music
and beginning instrumental teacher in Dearborn. Very busy Aaron. Aaron
most recently was the recipient of the Save the Music
(01:24):
Core Band Grant for the Dearborn Public School System, a
five to ten year partnership that will work to provide
class sets of band instruments to each of the twenty
one elementary schools in the Dearborn District. Please join me
and welcome ming, Damian and Erin. Thank you for being
here today.
Speaker 4 (01:40):
Thank you for inviting us.
Speaker 2 (01:42):
So let's tell everybody what Detroit Harmony is. Who wants
to start?
Speaker 5 (01:46):
I'll start, okay, great? First of all, thanks for having
us here today.
Speaker 2 (01:49):
For being here, Damien, good.
Speaker 6 (01:51):
To be here.
Speaker 5 (01:52):
Of Detroit Harmony is a DSO initiative, but it's a
citywide collaboration, and the DSO started to make sure that
every kid in Detroit had access to music education and instruments.
Speaker 2 (02:06):
Anything to add from you, Erin Treit Harmony is any
person who wants to be involved in music in any way. Okay,
So the Detroit Symphony Orchestra is involved. Tell me about
the relationship between the DSO and Detroit Harmony.
Speaker 5 (02:21):
So the DSO start at Detroit Harmony. So we're housed
at the DSO. Okay, so we are employees of the
Detroit Symphony Orchestra.
Speaker 3 (02:29):
Okay, And tell me the ways that you help children
get instruments or become, you know, involved in music education.
Speaker 4 (02:37):
So Detroit Harmony goes out into the community with our instruments.
So we have wind instruments and string instruments, and we
let anybody and everybody try the instruments at these events.
So it could be partner organizations that invite us to
their events. We've done events at the Detroit Public Library,
We've done events at Detroit parks, and we get you know,
(02:59):
all ages of people trying instruments. And then if they
are interested in an instrument, they have a need for
an instrument at home, they contact me and we set
set up a pickup time to get an instrument at
the Detroit Harmony building.
Speaker 2 (03:11):
Wow. And what does it mean to a kid to
get an instrument?
Speaker 5 (03:15):
Oh, well, it's life changing, I think just the first moment,
moment that they open the case and see it. It's
one of the best moments you'll ever see. Yes, you know,
and just playing an instrument make it those first sounds.
And then for us that that teach music and do
programs like this, we look forward to watching their journey.
Speaker 2 (03:36):
I love that.
Speaker 3 (03:37):
So you know, you can just visualize the child opening
the case, you know, and there it is, and come on,
instruments are so beautiful first of all, like they're so gorgeous.
And then I remember when my kids first tried instruments
to figure out what they were going to play in
middle school, you know, when they came home and they're like, well,
it's either this or that, you know, and it's so exciting.
(03:59):
Tell me about you know, when you do these events
and the kids try it, you know, what do you
expect to have happen next to them and what journey
happens over time.
Speaker 5 (04:10):
For us at Detrade Harmony, we want to make sure
that we build a community around that student, that they
stay motivated, and that we build all of these amazing
partnerships across the city with nonprofits and music teachers, and
we're here to support them.
Speaker 6 (04:25):
And if you support teachers, they can make sure.
Speaker 5 (04:28):
That kids do well, and that's why Aaron's position was
so important, which was created a year and a half
ago at the DSL. So she makes sure that each
student not only gets the instrument, but that each student
isn't a program. If they're not in a program, then
she places them in a program and then we make
sure that those students are doing well. If they need
(04:49):
more performing opportunities, we make sure they get they get
what they need, so we support them as long as
they have in the instrument.
Speaker 3 (04:59):
Music aids you can is so important to kids. Talk
a little bit about that.
Speaker 4 (05:04):
I think Damien touched on a great thing. The sense
of community that you get being involved in a musical
ensemble is so important, and it's it's for life, right.
I have friends from high school band, college band, and
now my husband and I are in Damien's adult group
at the Dso it's that sense of community is so
(05:24):
important and you come together with people of all walks
of life when you play in an ensemble.
Speaker 5 (05:29):
And it's nothing like being on a stage to have
a people applaud yes, right, to have that affirming thing
happened for you as a kid. As an adult, we
like applause you know, but as a kid, the first
time they'd sit there and they're playing Mary had a
little lamb and it sounds awful, and their parents are like, yeah,
and our students need more of that, more of those
(05:51):
kinds of affirming things in their lives. And for me,
I mean, you know, I was born and raised in Detroit,
and music education absolutely, you know, changed my life forever,
tell me about it. I played trumpet at elementary and
middle school. I had a tremendous general music teacher Detroit,
David Williams Uh.
Speaker 6 (06:12):
He was black.
Speaker 5 (06:12):
He had graduated from cast Tech Michigan State way back
in the day, and he inspired us to learn all
kinds of music and all genres. And then when I
got the cast Tech, I switched to French horn because
that was such a horrible trumpet player.
Speaker 6 (06:25):
I know.
Speaker 5 (06:26):
My bad director said, mister Crutcher, this is not working.
He said, so you should play something different. And so
I happened to be watching PBS. I have no idea
why I'm watching watching PBS at sixteen, and I saw
the what I would learn later to be called the
French horn, which.
Speaker 2 (06:42):
Is I have. It's one of my very favorite instruments.
It's so majestic.
Speaker 3 (06:47):
Yes, you know, you always hear it like as the
angels are coming down from the clouds, and it's of
course it's always the French horn or war.
Speaker 5 (06:54):
Is happening, and then it has this ability to be beautiful,
full and soft.
Speaker 6 (07:01):
Yeah, and it's a it's a.
Speaker 2 (07:02):
It's such a victorious instrument and it's an.
Speaker 5 (07:04):
Awful instrument to play. It's beautiful, but it's treacherous. Why
is that Because there was a famous French worn player
when I was growing up. His name was Barry Tuckwell
out of England. He's described playing frenchhorn as being like
driving a mac truck on ice, because you could be
playing well and doing well and it'll just go off
the road on you.
Speaker 6 (07:26):
You'll start missing notes.
Speaker 5 (07:27):
And so a lot of French one players have this
love hate relationship. But but that playing French one and
being a black French horness back in the day because
there weren't many, it allowed me to go to interlock
in Michigan State, Michigan, and then to do all of
the things that I love to do now. So I
take this, you know, I take this journey and this
job very seriously.
Speaker 2 (07:46):
Oh, it's just so wonderful and now you're helping other
kids have that journey. Absolutely, how exciting is that. How
did you get involved in Detroit Armed Harmony, Aaron?
Speaker 4 (07:56):
I was a volunteer two years before I got the job.
So Damien put out a call to everybody and anybody.
He knew that he needed volunteers for these instrument explorations
that were happening throughout the city. And my husband and
I are both music educators in the area. And you
know what he asked, and we said, yes, anything Damien
asked is is a yes. Yeah, he is a fabulous
(08:20):
human being and a music educator, and yes, it's an
absolute yes. And so we volunteered for the music explorations
throughout the city. And then he had a need once
they collected the instruments for Detroit Harmony, they were all
up in this lovely little attic across from the from
Orchestra Hall. He had a need to go through the
instruments and see what was playable, what needed repair, and
(08:43):
what was just you know, needed recycled. And so I
was a volunteer for those two years and then just
this job just kind of opened up. He encouraged me
to apply and I accepted the job because of Damien,
because of the human he is and the music you know,
music educator that he is in this ERAa, he's a
jum and we are lucky to have him.
Speaker 1 (09:05):
OA.
Speaker 6 (09:05):
We're gonna start crying.
Speaker 3 (09:10):
Job.
Speaker 5 (09:11):
It's beautiful and the feeling is mutual and in our
in the music community, it's like that, you know, we're
all pretty close friends.
Speaker 6 (09:20):
We look out for each other. And the DSO was smart.
Speaker 5 (09:25):
They recognized that I couldn't do it all and I
did not have the capacity, nor was I working in
the areas I'm most I should be like, I'm not
super super organized. So to have two thousand instruments, I
just sit there and looked at them, like, oh my god,
what am I gonna do? So you need someone who
has the capacity, who's organized, and also who loves Detroit.
Speaker 6 (09:46):
And Aaron loves Detroit and I love that about her.
Speaker 5 (09:49):
She respects the people and the citizens and she does
a great job of that. And then yeah, we had
about forty applicants for the job and then we nariled
it down to Aaron. It's been a great run too.
Speaker 2 (10:02):
That's great. How did you get involved in Detroit Harmony?
Speaker 6 (10:04):
Damien I was already doing too much.
Speaker 5 (10:11):
I was doing some work at the DSO, conducting some ensembles,
and then I was running my own nonprofit, Crescendo Detroit,
and I knew that the DSO was thinking about this,
and honestly I wanted to know parts of it.
Speaker 6 (10:24):
I just thought I've got enough to do.
Speaker 5 (10:27):
But then during the shutdown, you know, I had this
nagging voice telling me you have to you have to apply.
Speaker 6 (10:34):
So I called them and sold I'm interested.
Speaker 5 (10:36):
And so after fourteen interviews, they hired me to do
the job those five years ago. And it's been the
best part of what I do because it allows me
to gather all of my friends and all of the
resources and do some great stuff for kids in Detroit.
Speaker 3 (10:53):
Well, let's talk about that great stuff. What are the
areas of focus for Detroit Harmony?
Speaker 5 (10:57):
So our primary area of focus it's Detroit, you know, Detroit.
But also if we find a students somewhere else who
needs an instrument and we have it, we're not gonna
let that kid go with that, right, So we just
sent a couple kenya yeah to students would Haven.
Speaker 4 (11:18):
Dear Born north of Detroit, Hazel Park, Oak Park. So
they're all out there. And we also sent a little
over fifty instruments to a school in California in the
spring that burned down due to the wildfires, and they
had a need for instruments at their middle school, so
(11:38):
we sent those out, got them shipped out with a
national partner, so they're out there.
Speaker 5 (11:46):
Really for us, our focus again it is the instrument,
but it's it's really the what happens around the instrument
that is really important. You talk about that, you know,
like for Aaron and I, we would not be here
now if we had not had access to private lessons
to actually study your instrument with someone who really knows
(12:07):
how to play it. So I had a scholarship come
to me at cash Tech that allowed me to study
with Brian Kennedy of the DSO. He was a second
horn player and so while I was not as good
as Brian was, I kind of sounded like him, which
got me into MSU Wow and so his horn that
he won his DSO audition on. I received another scholarship,
(12:29):
but I bought that instrument, so I play on his instruments.
So those private lessons and those connections are important for musicians.
And then you meet teachers and they know the professor
at the different schools. It is all of that that
is sort important and you get really good on your
instrument I mean, which is I mean, it's nothing like that.
Speaker 6 (12:49):
Yeah.
Speaker 4 (12:49):
We started a mobile lessons program in the spring and
from April to the beginning of June, we sponsored over
two hundred lessons wow students in the Detroit area. And
the thirteen teaching assistants or teaching artists that we had
were all from Detroit, had some sort of tie to Detroit.
(13:12):
They went to the schools to teach the kids during school,
so there was no barrier of the student having to
get to the lesson. And then we had a recital
in June. Almost all the students participated. It was one
of the most beautiful moments of this job that I've
had yet, and I've had many beautiful moments of this job.
Speaker 6 (13:30):
So a lot of that comes from our listening.
Speaker 5 (13:32):
So at the center of the work that we do
at the DSL, in the Learning Engagement Department, which we
are part of, at the center of it is listening.
So we listened to detroiters. We ask them what do
you need? What do you want? Because you know how
it is. Sometimes people swoop into the city and start
these things and we're like, well, what is that?
Speaker 6 (13:50):
And it doesn't survive? What does it work?
Speaker 5 (13:52):
So we asked them what they wanted in my music
education work group that I started five years ago. They said,
you know, we need private lessons and we need the
lessons to go to where the kids are so we
eliminate the barriers. So for those people in the work group, UH,
to see this private les program come to Fruition was awesome.
(14:15):
And again, every teacher has a tie to Detroit. Like
Ed Quick was the founding band director at Detroitsch of
the Arts. He taught clarinet. Mark Hoss was the former
orchestra teacher at cast Tech. He's teaching Base. He's an
amazing based teacher.
Speaker 4 (14:30):
Yes, he taught seven seven based kids and then he
is teaching five this summer.
Speaker 5 (14:40):
And three of two of them had all been playing
for one or two years classical base and they auditioned
for our youth groups at the DNSO and both of
them made the top orchestra. Both of these kids, so
this you know, and then we have Carlon Harper and
Cole Randolph from the orchestra. He's the black cellist who
made the orchestra and his sister like they were part
(15:02):
of the program, which I thought, like was amazing.
Speaker 4 (15:05):
They went and taught at cast Tech and the students
and the teacher were very impressed with you know, the
work that they did there.
Speaker 5 (15:12):
So we do a lot of Yeah, so the focus areas,
a lot of focus areas that's important to us. And
then workforce development that's a part of it too.
Speaker 3 (15:19):
But so when we talk about your like the who
helped support the Detroit Harmony team, is that all of
these people that you're talking about and who else?
Speaker 6 (15:28):
Right, So it's a I have a leadership team.
Speaker 5 (15:30):
We have a leadership team, a music education work group,
a workforce development work group, instrument acquisition work group.
Speaker 6 (15:36):
We have a list of volunteers.
Speaker 4 (15:38):
About forty volunteers that are retired teachers, college students from
all walks of life, and they help us with instruments
and instrument explorations.
Speaker 5 (15:50):
And then the dso's you know, advancement team raises the money.
So we work in we work hand in hand with
them to tell the stories, to share the stories, and
they work hard to write the grants and raise the
money so that we could do what we could do.
One of our young students, Timothy Abrams, who started with
(16:13):
me when he was in sixth grade, I think in
the Honor Band. One of the hardest working young man
I've ever met. He had a chance this last year
to attend the Interlock and Arts Academy and he got
some scholarship. But our advancement team in Chris Antonio, who
(16:35):
had our department, made it work. So this his full
tuition was paid and it's about eighty thousand dollars wows
and so he'll be attending ccs UH in the he's
a he's a terrific trumpet player, but he's an even
better animator.
Speaker 2 (16:54):
Yeah, he's very talented, very talented.
Speaker 5 (16:57):
So so we work hand in hand with with the
development department advancement to share these stories.
Speaker 3 (17:06):
So how do you know you were saying that there
were these two thousand instruments, and you know they had
to be evaluated for whether they needed repairs and were
they usable and so forth, But how did those even
get to you? Let's talk about how these instruments get
to you?
Speaker 6 (17:23):
Okay, well, yeah, it's interesting, it's crazy. The first.
Speaker 5 (17:28):
When I first started, Paul Drubis, who was co chair
of my instrument group, said we need to do something,
so let's have a drive. So we set up an
instrument drive and we had drop off locations across the
state of Michigan. So people, we put the word out.
I got on Fox two. One of my former student students,
(17:50):
Michael ester May, was the meteorologist on Fox two, so
we had me on and just we started talking about it.
Speaker 3 (17:56):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (17:57):
They we gave people specific days and they dropped off
styments across the state of Michigan, and then Paul and
I would rent a truck and go pick and we're.
Speaker 6 (18:05):
Not doing that this time. We're not doing this.
Speaker 5 (18:07):
We have tools, so we were driving around to just
pick up instruments or people could drop them off at
the hall. Our security team at the DSO is extraordinary.
They'll take them for us and all of them. Yeah,
So that's kind of how the instrument drive worked the
last time. Aaron's gonna do a like a better job
this next time. In October, we're having another one and
we're gonna like have all hands on deck.
Speaker 6 (18:29):
State wise, state wise, state wide. Yeah, and you know
what to take the truth calling they never stopped coming.
Speaker 4 (18:37):
I get an email almost every day about somebody wanting
to donate an instrument. So we either set up a
time that I can pick it up or they can
drop it off. Amazing music repair partners A G and
mc court's music there drop off points year round.
Speaker 2 (18:51):
Oh really okay, and again it's mc courts and who.
Speaker 4 (18:54):
Else mc courts and ang Central Music and Troy Michigan
Troy okay, yeah, and there they will make sure that
the instrument gets to us repaired and ready to go,
and then they can also drop them off at the hall.
Like Demian said, our security team is amazing and they
know right what to do with these.
Speaker 2 (19:09):
Instruments and what kind of instruments will you take?
Speaker 4 (19:11):
We will take any instrument aside from pianos.
Speaker 2 (19:16):
I can't grab my piano and drag it up, no.
Speaker 6 (19:22):
Guess what we can.
Speaker 5 (19:23):
We can say that all we want, but we get
a We get an email every.
Speaker 4 (19:26):
Day about an email or an organ right now.
Speaker 5 (19:31):
Sometimes if it's the right organ, we'll take it. Because
the Black churches to Detroit love Hammon's. Oh yeah, so
well you know we'll take So we come across a
ham and we'll take it, and I'll let the churches
know I got it here and they'll be there like
we'll be there tomorrow to get it. But the pianos,
we just just we don't have the space to store them.
And people just don't like like our grandparents like grand
(19:54):
pianos in the living room.
Speaker 3 (19:55):
They just don't kind of instrument really except piano.
Speaker 5 (20:02):
Yep so flues, the clarinet, saxophones, violins, violas, cellos, cellos, trumpets, horns, keyboards.
We will take keyboards, electric keyboards, guitars. We had a
program in Southwest Detroit that needed some guitars, so we
gifted them twenty two guitars. And then also if there
(20:23):
are any harpists out there, we could use some harps.
Speaker 4 (20:25):
Yes, we have a class at a School of Music
Detroit run by MSU and they have a heart class
that has I think twelve students.
Speaker 2 (20:36):
Wow, that's quite a few, and we could use some
more harps to help them. If you have a harp
out there.
Speaker 6 (20:42):
Any size, any size.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
And the thing is that is that cast Tech has
the oldest harp program in the country really and next
year they're going to be celebrating their one hundredth anniversary.
And so the teacher that Lydia Claver is a classmate
of mine at Michigan. She wanted us to start a
beginning program and issue it. Then we're gonna help them
celebrate next year. So we need some more instruments. It's
(21:04):
gonna be an amazing year. There's so many harpists across
the country got their start here in Detroit at cast
tach cast Tech. Absolutely, if you go there, ask to
see the harp room, you're gonna.
Speaker 6 (21:16):
Be beautiful, beful, well.
Speaker 5 (21:18):
Twelve fifteen, twelve thirteen harps maybe in the real size.
Speaker 2 (21:22):
Just call it the harp education Capital of the world. Yea,
the hearp education capital.
Speaker 3 (21:29):
Of the right.
Speaker 5 (21:30):
There there have been four We're three major teachers there,
Velma Fraud, Pat Terry ross Lydia Cleeford, and they were
all students of each other, you know. So we're gonna
help them celebrate. So yeah, any harps out there, send
them harp way. We've got wonderful kids in Detroit who
are learning an amazing instrument.
Speaker 6 (21:48):
Yeah.
Speaker 3 (21:49):
Wow, that's just so beautiful. Hey, tell me about your
your event in October.
Speaker 4 (21:54):
Okay, so that's the instrument Drive. Yes, So that's going
to be running from October sixth to October thirty first,
and Angie and the Courts will definitely be drop off
points as well as Orchestra Hall, and then we're going
to be working on other drop off points throughout the state.
That list will be coming out soon, probably beginning of September.
Speaker 5 (22:15):
Yes, and WDIV Channel four is going to have a
drop off day at their site at their stations will
recordinating that now. And so you know, go through your
closets and garage and back of your cars and grab
those instruments, no matter what that condition they're in.
Speaker 4 (22:32):
Yeah, we will take them in pieces, we'll take them
without cases. Our music repair shops have done amazing things
with recycling the instruments, taking the pieces and returning you know,
full sized instruments ready to go for kids.
Speaker 6 (22:44):
And our partners have been amazing.
Speaker 5 (22:46):
We were just at ang Central Music and we have
some students right now at a couple of places learning
how to prepare instruments.
Speaker 6 (22:58):
So they're taking lessons and instrum repair.
Speaker 2 (23:00):
Oh how interesting.
Speaker 5 (23:01):
Yeah, that's part of our workforce development. Let's talk about
your workforce work development piece. We we want to be
a part of the larger ecosystem in Detroit to make
sure that we're offering training and opportunities for DETROITUS of
all age. So for our part, we've started an instrument
repair lessons program. We have seven seven people studying and
(23:24):
they're like from high school to grown adults studying instrument
repair because one thing about it, there's a national shortage
of instrument repair texts. So if you learn a little bit,
you'll get a job. Yes here Actually three of our
students have already been offered, but one of us is
(23:45):
going to be offered a job tomorrow. It doesn't know
that three of them have job offers already. So we
want to be a part of that.
Speaker 2 (23:53):
A part of that lifelong career.
Speaker 6 (23:55):
Lifelong career. And you know.
Speaker 5 (23:59):
There's a Clasaron at us and she only takes her
instrument to one place. I'm a French tromp player. French
romp players. We take ours to Chicago like your person
is like your best friend.
Speaker 6 (24:11):
Yes, so we could be a very lucrative. So that's
what we're doing.
Speaker 5 (24:14):
As far as workforce development, those kind of trainings at
the dso also as far as workforce development, you know,
we have interns that come through even as we hire
our teaching artists that teach our kids, our teaching artists
are paid the same rate as DSO members because we
want to make sure that we're employing We're employing young
(24:35):
artists like Ladero who's a saxophone player, sax appeal, who
went to DSA. We said, we want you to teach
some set. So you know, he's like, oh, I'm going
to make this. Yes, you're a professional. And we want
to make sure that he stays in Detroit and teaches
and plays.
Speaker 6 (24:51):
So that's part of our workforce development thing, you know.
Speaker 5 (24:54):
And I'm on the Detroit Entertainment Commission, so that's part
of what we do. We want to retain, you know,
and keep people here in Detroit. Yes, and I keep
reminding folks that Detroit is the musical capital of the world.
Speaker 6 (25:08):
There's no other place that compares to Detroit when it
comes to music.
Speaker 4 (25:14):
That is very true.
Speaker 2 (25:15):
How can organizations partner with Detroit Harmony?
Speaker 6 (25:20):
They could, Yeah, they could. They could.
Speaker 5 (25:21):
They could reach out to us, Aaron and myself, and
we will find a place.
Speaker 6 (25:27):
They can.
Speaker 5 (25:27):
They can hold a they can hold a drive at
their office. They could just bring more awareness to what
we're doing.
Speaker 6 (25:37):
Uh.
Speaker 5 (25:37):
They can make monetary donations whatever, they could come help
us out at instrument explorations. We always the volunteers to
man all the kids at the events that we have,
so we would love to have volunteers and organizations be apart,
especially October, would be great if they would team up
with us.
Speaker 3 (25:55):
Okay, and you just go to Detroit Harmony dot org.
Speaker 4 (25:59):
If you look up Detroy Harmony d s O, it'll
come up with our page. We have a page on
the DSO website. You can also email me. You'll find
my email there e Faarinars at DSO dot org and
I will get right back to you.
Speaker 6 (26:11):
And you could you can email me. You can, they
can message me on Facebook.
Speaker 5 (26:17):
They can google me to my house that's trying to
drop off an instrument because people, the people have dropped
off music at my house.
Speaker 4 (26:25):
I mean we've gotten some in the mail.
Speaker 5 (26:28):
So yeah, they could get they could catch us anyway
to come to Orchestra Hall and just yell our names
and someone will someone will find us.
Speaker 3 (26:35):
I love that talk about why it's so important with
the work that you do for the city of Detroit.
Speaker 5 (26:40):
I think for me, you know, I'm a Detroit and
I love my city and my city made me who
I am and it's a it's a vibrant place full
of amazing people. My neighbors I grew up with, they
all pushed me along the way. I remember one neighbor
I was walking down the street with my French horn
and he's come here.
Speaker 6 (27:01):
He says, I want you to keep going. He said,
don't stop.
Speaker 3 (27:05):
So, yeah, you love remembering things like that, I do.
Speaker 5 (27:10):
I had a lot of people along the way in
Detroit who taught me a lot of things, and so
it's just my turn to give back and open up
the door for other students. We have a student at
University of Michigan studying classical base, Troy Perkins, who just
got back from like a fifteen day tour.
Speaker 6 (27:26):
Of South Africa.
Speaker 4 (27:27):
Wow.
Speaker 5 (27:28):
So we're kind of opening up these doors for other
young people. And now he's back teaching lessons with his teacher,
Mark cos and he gave his old base to one
of the young guys playing bangs. So we're just gonna
return the favorite.
Speaker 6 (27:41):
That's what Detroiters do. Like you.
Speaker 5 (27:43):
One thing about Detroiters, they're not gonn let you be
hungry or homeless or out there.
Speaker 6 (27:48):
They're going to help you out. So that's kind of
where I come from.
Speaker 4 (27:52):
And you know, both my my husband and I are
music educators, and I just music is for everybody, and
I want to make sure that that's known the city.
This work is so important and this job for the
past year and a half has filled my soul as
a music educator, just seeing you know, anybody, all walks
of life try out instruments and then receive an instrument
(28:14):
of their own, and then if they need lessons, we
can help them, you know, with lessons and gosh, we've
gotten music donated to us, so if they need music,
we have that there. We have concert clothing, so if
you need clothing for your concert, it's there. Just this
work is so important and I'm loving giving back to
the city.
Speaker 5 (28:31):
And our next next task is to connect the current
kids with our legends in Detroit. So legends like Marion Hayden,
Ralph Armstrong, Wendell Harrison, Pamela Wise, like Michelle May, Pat
Terry Ross, like we have this amazing classical and jazz
(28:53):
musicians and R and B and gospel. I mean, we
it's Detroit, and we really want to connect our students
with their past because we know if they know their history,
you know, that's always a good thing.
Speaker 6 (29:05):
So that's our next phase.
Speaker 5 (29:07):
They're waiting, these folks are waiting to pass on their legacy,
their stories, and their gifts. So now we're just trying
to figure out a way to make that happen. And
that's important for Detroit. Right as we celebrate Detroit and
all of the amazing people that have come out of
the city, what.
Speaker 2 (29:24):
Else does the future hold for Detroit Harmony.
Speaker 6 (29:27):
I think for us, it's.
Speaker 5 (29:31):
We want to let every student in Detroit know that
music education is for them. We want to support every
music teacher out there who is doing their best to teach.
We want to support every nonprofit that does anything in
the city, but especially if they work in the arts.
Speaker 6 (29:53):
We want to.
Speaker 5 (29:55):
Help them publicize what they do, help them get kids,
help them locate funding if we can. That's the thing.
We're not going to stop until we reach all one
hundred and twenty six thousand school age kids in Detroit.
Speaker 6 (30:10):
Then I'll retire health.
Speaker 4 (30:19):
I learn enough lessons by that I will know how
to do that.
Speaker 6 (30:22):
That's right.
Speaker 2 (30:24):
Helping kids play music what it's all about.
Speaker 4 (30:27):
Yes, and any kind of music, any.
Speaker 6 (30:30):
Kind of music, it doesn't matter.
Speaker 5 (30:32):
You know, all music is equal and Like I said,
that's the great thing about Detroit. You can you can
hear mariachi, you can hear techno. We've got the greatest
gospel artists in the world, rappers, it doesn't matter what
it is, we have it. So whatever kids want to study,
we let them study.
Speaker 3 (30:50):
Our beautiful guests today have been Damien Cruncher, Managing director
of Detroit Harmony and Aaron Fahnaurs, Detroit Harmony Partnerships and
Services Ordinator. Thanks for joining us today, you guys.
Speaker 6 (31:02):
Thank you so much.
Speaker 4 (31:03):
This was wonderful.
Speaker 1 (31:05):
This has been light Up the D, a community affairs
program from iHeartMedia Detroit. If your organization would like to
get on the program, email Colleen Grant at iHeartMedia dot com.
Here are all episodes on this station's podcast page.
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