Music Means More Inc. is a non-profit based in Southeast Michigan. Their focus is on bringing Music education to underserved urban youth. Their mission is to bring technology, writing workshops, and art into community spaces as a means of uplifting artist voices. Dante Dorsey, the founder and program director of Music Means More Inc., explains, “So this is not just about music, but it’s about relationships, it’s about caring for building out something that is sustainable, and also just providing a safe space for young people.”
Their mission is to use songwriting and music production to teach self-expression, creativity and critical thinking. Some days they are working with students in Carmen Ainsworth High School in Flint as supplemental music instructors. Other days, like this summer, they create with the Ozone house and Ypsilanti Public Library during Noise Permit. Adaptation is an essential aspect to their success. Their curriculum, which they developed in collaboration with experienced PhD level curriculum developers, serves as a blueprint. But with a wide range of ages and lesson lengths Music Means More Inc. adapts lessons to fit with each unique group.
“Sometimes we’re with students for 90 minutes based on what the organization is able to do. Sometimes we get a two‑hour block, so we have to tailor it to what our group is able to do based on time and experience — a lot of those things factor in. Usually the curriculum is a framework, so we start with that,” Dorsey said.
Writing is at the core of Music Means More’s curriculum. Dorsey, a writer and artist himself, explains that learning to write music can serve as a way to safely express vulnerability. Writing sessions are usually based around prompts focusing on things like introducing oneself to the world, creating an anthem for a place, and using writing to express struggles and how students overcome them. The sessions are focused. Students work from a place of intention.
“But what I’ve learned, and what I will say I’ve gotten better at over the last couple of years, is understanding that these students are more phenomenal than I can imagine. They come in even further than I would have anticipated in some cases. So I have had to say, ‘All right, I need to meet these young people where they are,” Dorsey said.
RELATED: Noise Permit: A Place for Youth Artists
In many ways, Music Means More Inc. is another element of Michigan’s vibrant arts scene. Dorsey and his team connect with young people. They help them create art, provide steps and assistance with publication and build artistic communities. It’s an essential element of a thriving creative ecosystem.
“I’m a Michigander, true and through, and I don’t know that I would ever find myself comfortable living in any other place, because in Michigan I can explore all of my artistic ventures here. Everywhere I go, the art that we bring is welcomed with open arms and valued in a way that, in some other states, maybe they see it as an extracurricular — we see it as an essential,” Dorsey said.
At Music Means More Inc. musical education is a conduit towards all kinds of learning. Whether students are learning sound engineering, experimenting with poetic form, or simply bouncing ideas off of a trusted peer, their work brings them closer to others. When asked what someone would need to understand about the organization, Dorsey brings everything back to other people.
“We are about the community, so I think that if you understand community we provide that space where we truly build out the types of relationships that are lasting beyond the music, we like to say go beyond the beats, right?” Dorsey said.
To anyone who wants to know more, who wants to create for themselves, Dorsey reiterates that everyone is always welcome.
“For young people who want to get involved or may not know about what it is that we do, we always just say, come and see about us, come and see, come to Noise Permit, and sit in the room,” Dorsey said.
Contact Music Means More Inc. at their website: Music Means More, Inc.
