Looking back on 2018, we have had an incredibly successful first semester. We showcased local talent at our Rock the Mic event, raised over $19,000 on Giving Blueday, selected our Community Partners for the school year, and began preparing for SpringFest this upcoming semester. We have been working tirelessly to promote educational accessibility and a love for music throughout Ann Arbor, and have some exciting projects and events coming up in the next few months.

While our responsibilities, school work, and schedules might feel overbearing during the holiday season, it’s important that we reflect on the true spirit of the holiday season and the primary mission of MUSIC Matters: giving back. As an organization and as a community, we have so much to be thankful for and so much to give back to the community, especially during the holidays. Once classes are finished and finals are turned in, we are lucky enough to have families and loved ones to return home to and celebrate holiday traditions with. We asked our MUSIC Matters family which traditions they were most thankful for and excited to celebrate. Some anticipated lighting the Hanukkah candles accompanied by Dean Martin’s “Let it Snow” or decorating the Christmas tree with Wham!’s “Last Christmas,” while others eagerly awaited baking cookies and admiring Christmas lights with family and friends.

While the answers varied, it was clear that we have so much to be appreciative of during this season and so much to give back to our Ann Arbor community. As we celebrate these traditions, we remember those who may not be as lucky as we are and the importance of the MUSIC Matters mission. So, while we are thankful that we were able to return home and spend the holidays with loved ones, we are just as excited to jump back into this next semester, work with our CoMMunity Partners Heal-Move-Shift and Michigan Movement, and continue to make a lasting impact on our community at large!