Community Building in the Washington, DC area!!

SFP Editor: What inspired the idea for Everyone Deserves Music?' Spencer Vliet: The whole thing came about pretty organically. I volunteered with kids from Southeast DC for a few years through the Sierra Club's Inner City Outings (ICO) program. One of my fellow volunteers knew I was a drummer and asked me if I'd be willing to help fix up an old drum set that's in the community center of the neighborhood we work with. That's really all I started out to do, but then I saw the passion that a couple of the neighborhood kids had for playing this drum set at every opportunity, even though they'd never been taught or had any lessons. That really spoke to me as a former kid who was obsessed with drums and music. I realized how lucky I had been when I was young to have been able to take private lessons, to have parents able to buy equipment and music for me, to have my own drum set and to be able to play it every day. I grew up in middle class suburbs taking all of these things for granted, but these are all opportunities which are denied to a lot of kids in less fortunate urban environments. When I saw the love these kids had for playing music, I immediately knew I wanted to help nurture their talent and passion by helping provide some of the opportunities to them that I had.

Spencer Vliet: The goal of Everyone Deserves Music (EDM) is twofold. First, it's to give disadvantaged kids with the opportunity to learn and study a musical instrument with a private instructor. Second, it's to provide each student with the things that are necessary to support their learning, such as instruments, music, and space for practicing and lessons.

SFP Editor: What is your role in the organization and what are you trying to achieve?

Spencer Vliet: I have several students I give drum lessons to each week, and beyond that I'm the founder and chair of the organization. In that role, I'm really trying to expand and grow the organization so that we can provide these opportunities to kids across the city. That means I'm recruiting more volunteer instructors so we can offer a wider variety of lessons (such as piano, guitar, bass, brass, strings, etc.), but that also means trying to put the organizational infrastructure in place to be able to handle the expansion. Ideally, I'd like to work with community centers across the city, wherever there is a need or desire for music education. So I've been trying to build those bridges and to recruit volunteers to help me build those bridges.

Long term, what I want to achieve is to make Everyone Deserves Music a well-known force within DC. Learning an instrument does so many wonderful things for kids, from raising their self-esteem to improving their grades in school to providing a vital, necessary outlet for enjoyment and personal expression. I want every kid in DC who has that desire, regardless of their socioeconomic status, to be able to have that opportunity. That's a lofty goal that may never be reached, but that's what I want Everyone Deserves Music to achieve, and we won't ever stop working toward that goal.

SFP Editor: How does the program work?

Spencer Vliet: Right now we're in the beginning phases, working with a local church (Community of Hope). The church helps us find kids from the neighborhood or that attend the church who are looking to learn an instrument. Then we try to find a volunteer instructor for that student and provide as much of the music and instruments as we can. It's this model we're trying to expand into other community centers.

SFP Editor: How has music impacted you life?

Spencer Vliet: Music is like air to me, I don't think I could physically live without it. From as long as I can remember, I've just had a connection and fascination with it. It's impacted me in a whole lot of ways, but I think the most important is that it just gives me joy and satisfaction when I play it. It's a positive way to blow off steam when I'm frustrated, and it's one of the best ways I know to celebrate. It's added immeasurable value to my life.

That's why I started Everyone Deserves Music, really - I want kids to have that. People who love playing music will understand, there's just an indescribable feeling we get from it that we can't get anywhere else. I want all kids with that passion and desire to have the chance to feel that, because it really is a lifelong gift.

SFP Editor: How can one get involved in the organization?

Spencer Vliet: Right now we're looking for all kinds of volunteers. Of course, we always need volunteer instructors who are willing to provide one-on-one lessons on any instrument they play. But in addition to that, there's plenty of roles people can play: raising funds and soliciting instrument donations, marketing and PR, community outreach and building partnerships, and helping to draft bylaws - just to name some off the top off my head. Basically, if someone believes in the mission and wants to get involved, we'd love to have their energy, talents, and ideas on board. Learn more.

SFP Editor: What impact has the program had already?

Spencer Vliet: We have several students today that are taking weekly lessons, and several more that are looking for teachers. The enthusiasm and interest has really blown me away and let me know we're on to something. Unfortunately right now there's more interested kids than we have instructors for. For the students we do have, the improvements that have been made in just a few months is truly astounding. It really speaks to the passion and enthusiasm they have for these lessons. They practice more than I did as a kid!

SFP Editor: What are your long term plans for the organization?

Spencer Vliet: I'd like to have partnerships with youth centers and community organizations throughout the city, so that no matter where kids live, they have close, local access to this program.

SFP Editor: What brought you to the DC area?

Spencer Vliet: I moved here for a job and I've been here for almost 7 years now.

SFP Editor: What inspired you to get involved with youtj?

Spencer Vliet: I've always liked working with kids, and I used to volunteer with youth back in college so when I find the Sierra Club program it was a great fit. But Everyone Deserves Music is really my dream. Every time I see one of our students get excited about learning something new (which they do quite often!), it really inspires me all over again to do what we do and to try to bring it to as many kids as possible.