Resounding Campaign Profiles Brown Challenge Report Year2 | Page 2

Changing Lives
At an event to support the Brown Challenge earlier this year, Eddie and Sylvia
spoke about their philanthropic mission to help “save lives” and to help “change lives.”
Ten years ago, The Baltimore Symphony Orchestra’s Music Director, Maestra Marin Alsop, had
a similar mission and founded the OrchKids program to help change the lives of our City’s most vulnerable
youth and it’s working! Last year, OrchKids provided in-school and after-school music education programming
to more than 1,300 students. One of these students is Jayden. His mom, Carol, wanted to share their family’s
story with you:
The Random Comment That Changed Our Lives!
There we were, a group of parents waiting while the camp bus took our children away for a day’s adventure. Fighting
the mixed emotions that come with entrusting your child to others, we all started chatting as a way of consoling one
another. I heard one mother comment, “It was a hard decision because I wanted her to go to music camp today but
there was also this trip.” My ears came alive and for the next 15 minutes this mom shared her love and excitement for
the OrchKids Program. Her excitement and admiration for this program was contagious!
A soon as I got home, I looked OrchKids up online and my heart wrapped around all those precious children - and
the staff that were so giving of their time and attention to help these students. That evening I talked to my husband,
Christian, and son, Jayden, about this amazing music program and they were equally as excited.
The very next day, I stopped by the OrchKids office at
Lockerman Bundy Elementary, in West Baltimore, and
the staff invited me to a student concert that afternoon.
It was one of the BEST experiences of my life!!!
All those children absolutely floored me with their
confidence and musical prowess from strings, to brass,
to voice and more! I could not contain my tears of joy.
We live not too far from the school, so the challenges
of the neighborhood and its families are not lost on me.
It was a blessing to witness these children, who face so
many obstacles and struggles on a daily basis, on stage
performing with such grace and proficiency.
Christian, Carol and
Jayden Moore
At Jayden’s old school, he was continuously bullied for being smart. In his own
words, he felt completely “shunned by the other kids.” We decided to homeschool Jayden and set out to immerse him
in programs that would help him grow. I knew we needed OrchKids and signed him up as soon as we could! The staff
and other students welcomed him with such warmth – he felt accepted from day one. OrchKids gave Jayden a sense of
belonging that he had never known before.
And the music! At OrchKids, he was presented with some instrument options from which to choose. After learning
about the viola, it was a done deal. He LOVES the viola. He loves learning and gaining new skills and wants to play
it everywhere – even in the grocery store! At every family gathering, “Mom, may I bring the viola so I can play for
everyone?” This year for his birthday, he asked me to find a children’s hospital so he could go and play for the kids.
Practice time is now family time for us as he requests both of us to be his audience. He actually ASKS for us to turn on
the classical music stations for him and has become a real Beethoven fan! We’ve seen him grow by leaps and bounds in
music and everything else since enrolling in OrchKids. Our family is deeply indebted to the program and the staff who
work tirelessly to change lives, like ours, every day. Bravo!
- Carol Moore