David’s Harp is making a real difference in the lives of youth in the San Diego area. I first saw this non-profit on the Today Show and was so inspired I knew I had to spotlight this organization on ContagiousBlog.
David’s Harp mentors youth through a musical platform and empowers them to find their voice and tap into their creative energies. In addition to providing a safe environment to explore, create and grow, David’s Harp also supports students in academic achievement. They offer tutoring to help students maintain their grades in order to participate in the program.
Real life mentors look like people who are willing to share their ups and their downs, their successes and their failures, so that young people can really learn from that…here mentorship is 100% the goal and music is just the platform.
Brandon Steppe, Today Show Segment, 2/18/2019
While running a non-profit foundation where at-risk teens trade good grades for time in a professional-grade recording studio, Brandon Steppe discovered bold transparency as a necessary ingredient for earning trust, engaging in real conversations, and building successful mentoring relationships. He also realized two things, that hip-hop music is the perfect metaphor for mentorship, and perfect power is actually found in weakness. Brandon Steppe is a transformative force in the lives of “at-risk” and homeless teens in his hometown of San Diego, California. As the founder of The David’s Harp Foundation, Brandon provides these youth an artistic escape from their often challenging life situations. As Executive Director, Brandon has overseen the organization’s growth from his father’s garage in Southeast San Diego, to a state-of-the-art studio facility located in Downtown San Diego’s East Village community. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. – (TedX Talks Summary, accessed on 2/18/2019.)
