Feel the Rhythm

 For over 20 years Former Miami-Dade County Commissioner Dennis C. Moss had the vision of creating a youth band program that the potential to evolve into a county wide, statewide and eventually a nationwide program. In 2017 Commissioner Moss convened a team of outstanding professionals and community leaders to become the organizing committee that provided the leadership and oversight for the program. The organizing committee consisted of Commissioner Moss; Ed Hanna; Joe L. Demps, the late Charles Bethel and the late Rodester Brandon. The program’s long-term goal is to work in conjunction with and through the various Optimist and little league football programs. The reason that the long-term goal is to work with existing little league football programs and not as a separate, stand-alone program, is in order to take advantage of a number of factors. First of all marching bands are a natural component of football programs whether at a high school or college level; little league football programs have the community infrastructure (Fundraising capabilities, volunteers, organizational skills, community support, etc.) to sustain a youth marching band program; many of these programs are located in challenged neighborhoods that struggle with gun violence, gangs and other hardships and a youth band program will be able to bring hundreds of youth off the streets and into a positive environment where they will learn not just music and marching and dance skills, but life skills including a sense of worth, dignity and self-esteem. The Youth Band Camp component provides a 6-week summer band camp experience. Dr. Julian White, (Former band director at world renowned Florida A and M University) serves as the Supervising Consultant for the program.