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Email: info@WeWantMusic.org / Phone: (901) 413-2746
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Fall Recital 2025
Join us for our Fall Recital as our students perform music they’ve been preparing!
November 16th, 2:30 PM | The Beethoven Club, 263 S McLean Blvd. | Free Admission
Raymond Award Fundraising Campaign
Please consider supporting our efforts to honor a great music educator, while also recognizing outstanding music educators!
Campaign launches October 1st and ends November 17th | Click here for more information below!
ABOUT US
OUR STORY
WWM! Founder Marc Willis witnessed his son, performing well as a violist with support from private lessons, be one of a small number of Black students that “made it” into regional and state honor orchestra competitions. Wanting to find a way to change that narrative, he decided to support a few focused, aspiring musicians that he would meet and hear playing from different community music programs across Memphis.
Marc decided to partner with great musicians who were also great music educators and positive mentors because they were already doing the work. In the fall of 2019 WWM! and the private lesson program were born and the first teacher with one of her music students, signed on to the program.
In the spring of 2020, COVID hit and private lesson recruitment efforts came to a halt. With the first student still willing to work hard, WWM! continued to support lessons and she continued to grow and develop as a musician. In the summer of 2022, armed with support from MMI, WWM! funded private lessons for 10 students during those summer months. In September of that year, WWM! held its first live student recital with jazz, soul, classical and chamber musicians all performing. It was beautiful!
Starting in 2019, Marc also produced five free community concerts largely in North Memphis. Several of the concerts also included student musicians alongside professional musicians. Our future plans call for more school and community concerts.
OUR mission
to support, advocate, and celebrate instrumental music creation, performance, and education
while creating positive economic impact within the music community
OUR PROGRAMS
Private Lesson Program
Private lessons are a critical part of the equation in a young musician’s music skill development. Private lessons promote good practice habits, goal setting, and hard work. The real magic happens as the teaching artist provides instant feedback, specifically about a student’s skills they are mentoring. To increase audition opportunities for honor bands, community music programs, and college scholarship for Black and Brown students, WWM! offers free private lessons to select few high school, aspiring musicians.
Live Concert Performances
Attending live instrumental music concerts is a must for young developing musicians so that they can hear and see examples of great music performances. WWM! provides free concert tickets to select shows in local venues to students and their parents. In choosing performances, we begin with performances by our very own private lesson teaching artist and build from there.
Student Recital Performances
Performing is a very important part of aspiring musicians’ development. For the students we serve, WWM! provides three recital performance opportunities each year. These recitals are an opportunity for family and friends to hear their student perform as well as build community and friendships between the student performers themselves.
Next Step Scholarships
When WWM! music students graduate from high school, they immediately become alumni of the PLP program, but it doesn’t mean their engagement with WWM! is over. As they prepare for whatever their next step will be, WWM! provides some financial support to help with their transition. The award, based on length of time in the PLP program, can be as high as $1,000.00 for some students.
Raymond Settle Award
Raymond Settle was an outstanding music educator and inspiration to many band students that attended Richland Jr. High and White Station Jr. High schools, in Memphis, TN. To honor his legacy, WWM! has created the Raymond Settle Award to acknowledge and celebrate great music educators, directors and mentors in the region. Each spring, our selection committee will review nominees and find deserving educators to recognize for the award. The award will also provide support for the program the director represents.
OUR IMPACT (since 2020)
536 hours of private lessons provided
24 different students served
13 different teachers engaged
7 student recitals presented
5 community concerts (4 free) presented since 2019
39 concert tickets purchased for students since 2023
1,000+ audience participants
OUR LEADERSHIP
Marc Willis
Founder & Board Chair
Founder and Executive Producer, Aye Leigh Projects, LLC
Dewun Settle
Board Secretary
Attorney at Law, Dewun Settle Law Offices
Cary Booker
Board Treasurer
Assistant Commissioner, Division of Early Childhood Services, State of New Jersey
Brianna Willis
Board Director
History Teacher, Kairos Academies
Yennifer Correia
Board Director
Orchestral Musician, Educator, and Chamber Musician
OUR TEAM
Mari Kamikura
Program Coordinator
info@wewantmusic.org
Kat Williams
Project Coordinator
growth@wewantmusic.org
Marc Willis
Vision and Strategy
marc@wewantmusic.org
SUPPORT
Please consider a gift today of any size to help us inspire future musicians! We need and appreciate your support! Thank you!