We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Makala Latham. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Makala below.
Alright, so we’re so thrilled to have Makala with us today – welcome and maybe we can jump right into it with a question about one of your qualities that we most admire. How did you develop your work ethic? Where do you think you get it from?
I get my work ethic from my parents. Growing up they always taught my sisters and I to do things “all the way, right away, and with a joyful heart” there is no point in doing a project half way and it will only reflect poorly on you. I was able to watch both my mom and my dad work so hard to take care of my siblings and me. My dad is a retired law enforcement officer and my mom is a stay at home mom, both of them did everything in their power to make sure we had/have an amazing life.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
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 $30,000. We also donated a multitude 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.” I currently have a community band in the works, to help bring music to those who don’t get to experience it in their everyday life. This school year we were able to give over $10,000 worth of grants to five different music programs in Van Buren. We collect monetary donations as well as instrument donations!
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
I think that coming from a small low income school had a big impact on my and my motivations behind this program. It has helped me to stay motivated in this hectic time because there is truly nothing like seeing the smile on a kids face when they get an instrument in their hand. I will also say that organization is big on creating a successful program, I will not lie I have not always been the most organized person(just ask my mom) but this program has helped me become more organized in all aspects of my life. I was also extremely fortunate to have a musical background and come from a very musical family. This helped me come up with a good framework of how I want to achieve things. As for advice for others I would say just go for it, you never know what could happen, and the worst that could happen is that it doesn’t work but then you would have gained so much knowledge and experience which is priceless.
How can folks who want to work with you connect?
We are always looking for people to collaborate with! We absolutely love working with young musicians and also band programs. I am also consistency looking for venues where I could plan and host events in the Southwest Michigan area. We love helping young musicians get the exposure they need and deserve so that they can further advance their careers. If you would like to partner with us you can shoot us an email at [email protected]. I look forward to hearing from you!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/help.music.program
- Instagram: @help_m.u.s.i.c._program
- Facebook: @Help MUSIC Program
Image Credits
Studio 35 Photography
McEnaney-Decatur Sports Photos
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