The mission of the Helen L. Fox Gospel Music Center is to provide music education to urban and under-resourced youth as a pathway to success and excellence in all areas of life. Our namesake, Helen Fox, taught music lessons in the community for many years, accepting only what students could afford to pay.

Jasmine “Dryw” Starkey-Williams is one of our many success stories, having joined our program as a 13-year-old 7th grader at Hillside Middle School. Due to the generosity of donors, HLFGMC was able to offer Jasmine a full scholarship to cover the cost of her lessons and instrument rental. Over time, she developed as a cellist and as a person. She gained confidence in her ability and performed at recitals and community events with the ensemble and as a soloist.

Now, Jasmine is a graduate of Kalamazoo Central High School. She is currently enrolled in Kalamazoo Valley Community College and plans to further her education. In an essay she wrote while in high school, this is some of what she said about the Music Center program.

“. . .I have been playing cello for six years. My family has been struggling financially for a longtime, so music lessons . . . were something we often simply could not afford. The Helen L. Fox Gospel Music Program changed my life in many ways. I have been studying under Jordan Hamilton for almost three years. He is a brilliant musician and an amazing instructor. His words of wisdom have at times kept me going. My ensemble teacher is Alexis Terrain. She is also an extraordinary musician and incredibly patient. I enjoy many genres of music but some of the classical composers that I am very fond of include Mozart, Beethoven, Bizet and Tchaikovsky.…”

For more information, visit: www.hlfgmc.org