We recently connected with Makala Latham and have shared our conversation below.

Makala, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you walk us through some of the key steps that allowed you move beyond an idea and actually launch?

Last fall I created a non-profit to help low-income band programs and their students be able to participate in music and band. My non-profit is called Help M.U.S.I.C. which stands for “Help Make Unique Students Interact Creatively.” Now this all started because I have a love for music education, but coming from a small school made me realize that many students cannot afford to participate in music as I was able to. Originally it was just a school project, for FCCLA, and was only intended to help Decaturs’ music program but it grew into something way bigger than I ever expected. We held a Music Showcase at Decatur Jr. Sr. High School. At this fundraiser we had performers from the community come and play, including some students from the high school. We offered child care in the form of an instrument petting zoo and we went around to local businesses and collected silent auction donations. At this fundraiser, we raised around $5,000. After our multiple news appearances, we received many more donations. We received first place at the State FCCLA Conference and I was asked to go to nationals. At nationals in Denver Colorado, I received 6th place for my project. We have had many more fundraisers out in the community. We had an ACD/C cover band called OCD/C that reached out to us to partner for a fundraiser. We have since raised around $30,000 and 25 instrument donations, including multiple pianos. I have had multiple local news and radio interviews as well as an interview on The Kelly Clarkson Show.

As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?

I have created a non-profit, Help, M.U.S.I.C., to help raise money for low-income music programs and their students. In doing this we have also raised awareness in the surrounding communities about the importance of music and music education. We have had multiple media appearances and have raised around $20,000. We also donated 25 instruments to local band programs. I have always had a strong passion for music and have been fortunate to come from a family that was able to afford for me to participate in music, however, I have noticed as I got older that some families aren’t as fortunate. I have gained a strong passion for helping and teaching students who are younger than me. With these two things coming it led me to have a great motivation towards this project and being able to help kids. I have found that this whole project that I love working with kids and I have also found that it doesn’t matter how old you are, so long as you are passionate about what you’re doing you can achieve whatever you put your mind to. Through this project, I have gained a lot of recognition in my community and made many connections. I can confidently say that I am amazed at the impact this project has had on our community and so thankful for the impact it has had on me and the valuable lessons it has taught me. We are on all social media under “Help M.U.S.I.C.” This summer we have quite a few fundraisers and I am looking to start a community band. I hope to make music an affordable activity for everyone!

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

I think the most rewarding thing by far is seeing the smile on kids faces when they get an instrument in their hand! There is no better feeling than helping students achieve something they didn’t think was possible.

Learning and unlearning are both critical parts of growth – can you share a story of a time when you had to unlearn a lesson?

I had to learn that I simply cannot do everything by myself and that it is so important to make connections and use the resources you have! Building a strong community around yourself and your organization will make it so much easier to achieve your goals!

Contact Info:

• Website: https://linktr.ee/help.music.program
• Instagram: @help_m.u.s.i.c._program
• Facebook: @Help MUSIC Program
• Other: TikTok: @helpmusicprogram
  Gmail: [email protected]

Image Credits

Studio 35 Photography
Gary Latham and Janelle Latham