The Detroit Symphony Orchestra (DSO) has announced the successful funding of phase one of Detroit Harmony, an initiative to expand the role of music in supporting the educational and social development of Detroit’s school children, while also growing economic opportunity for Detroit citizens through the provision of instruments and music education.
Detroit Harmony will put an instrument into the hands of every K-12 public, private, and charter school student in the city who wants to learn to play. At the same time, the program should be able to bolster economic and workforce development in Detroit, including bringing new jobs to teaching artists, transportation providers, and skilled tradespeople to restore and bring life back to used instruments, plus job training and professional development resources for workers, a press release says.
Major support for this initial stage was provided by the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. Foundation and the Max M. and Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation.
Building upon the extensive community and education programs offered by the DSO’s Wu Family Academy for Learning and Engagement, Detroit Harmony stems from the commitment the DSO made in 2017 to improving the quality of life for all Detroiters as the central tenet of the orchestra’s Social Progress Initiative.
