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    • Introducing the partnership with the Race and Justice reporting Initiative
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    Mexican Consulate Sponsors El Grito Event in Southwest Detroit

    Mexican Consulate Sponsors El Grito Event in Southwest Detroit

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    A painted puzzle piece artwork is displayed as Ballet Folclórico of Wayne State University dancers perform at Roosevelt Park during the ‘Pieces of Detroit’ event in Detroit, Michigan, on April 27, 2025. The installation and performances celebrated the cultural and historical ties across Southwest Detroit.

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    Bagley-West Vernor Historic District Receives Unanimous Approval, Next Up for State Vote

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    ¡¡Mi Grito, Tu Grito. Our Collective Voice Matters!!

  • Featured
    Mexican Consulate Sponsors El Grito Event in Southwest Detroit

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    Javier González Weaves Freedom and Family Legacy Into Sculptural Tapestries

    Javier González Weaves Freedom and Family Legacy Into Sculptural Tapestries

    A painted puzzle piece artwork is displayed as Ballet Folclórico of Wayne State University dancers perform at Roosevelt Park during the ‘Pieces of Detroit’ event in Detroit, Michigan, on April 27, 2025. The installation and performances celebrated the cultural and historical ties across Southwest Detroit.

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    Festivalgoers enjoying the photobooth.

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Academy of the Americas Receives $20,000 Donation of Musical Instruments

Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation and Ford Motor Company Fund make donation possible

Eric Guzman by Eric Guzman
December 16, 2022
in Community, Español
Reading Time: 10 mins read
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On December 8th, The Academy of the Americas, a public pre-kindergarten through high school of Detroit Public Schools, was presented with a $20,000 donation in musical instruments from the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation and the Ford Motor Company Fund. It is the first time a Detroit school has received this honor. The Academy of the Americas was recognized for overcoming obstacles brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic when students and teachers had to adapt and transfer to virtual learning. As part of the award the school received a special performance from Latin Grammy Nominated artists Mau y Ricky.

Isabella Kercorian, a second year music teacher at the academy submitted the application for the school to receive the donation. “These students are hungry, and work really hard, and are passionate,” Kercorian said when asked about her inspiration for applying for the donation. She also explains some of the ways the music program adjusted to teaching the students during virtual lessons while in the pandemic. “We had to be really creative on how we continued to learn music, we actually turned into a composition unit,” Kercorian said. “We learned about writing music and how different types of music affect different types of things such as video games and movies, so we got to be a bit more creative.”

Mau y Ricky, Venezuelan Latin pop and reggaeton duo who were the special guests, felt that being at the academy for this event lined up with what they feel the purpose of their career is all about.

“[Our purpose] is just impacting the life of people and inspiring them to dream and follow and find their own purpose,” Ricky said. “Being able to encounter all these kids and the future generation of music and our culture and our world and be able to somehow impact them in these few hours we have with them and to leave a mark deep enough with them for them to somehow spark up some inspiration to chase their dreams.”

Mau y Ricky also faced their own set of challenges during the COVID-19 pandemic. They recognized that throughout the pandemic how much of a personal connection they have to the fans. “As artists, a lot of what we feed from as creatives is reaction from people,” Mau said.

‘While social media did help the group reach out and stay in touch with their fans, nothing is quite the same as being able to feel that personal validation whether it’s running into a fan or hearing the roar of a crowd during a live performance.”

The duo also acknowledges how important it is to be in touch with students at an early stage in their lives.They feel a sense of paying it forward especially considering the advice their father, Ricardo Montaner gave them when they first began their journey into the music business.

“We had the ability to have someone like our dad inside music to guide us and give us some type of pointers in the beginning of our dreams and careers”, Mau states. “We feel the necessity and need to do the same with kids and with people that are dreaming with the possibility of one day doing what we do”.

For Isabella Kercorian, this donation and event is a huge step for not only the kids in the school, but also future students to come. “We need more ways to show [the kids] anything is possible for them and they truly can do anything they put their mind to”, Kercorian said. “Having [Mau y Ricky] come here, having Ford be here and the Latin Grammys program be here shows people believe in them. I think they’re going to take the way they think of themselves as musicians to a whole new level”.

La Academia de las Américas recibe una donación de $20,000 en instrumentos musicales

La Fundación Cultural Latin Grammy y Ford Motor Company Fund hacen posible la donación.

El 8 de diciembre, la Academia de las Américas, una escuela que va desde prekínder hasta secundaria que forma parte de las Escuelas Públicas de Detroit, recibió una donación de $20,000 en instrumentos musicales por parte de la Fundación Cultural Latin Grammy y Ford Motor Company Fund. Es la primera vez que una escuela de Detroit recibe este honor. La Academia de las Américas fue reconocida por superar los obstáculos provocados por la pandemia de COVID-19 cuando estudiantes y docentes tuvieron que adaptarse y transferirse al aprendizaje virtual. Como parte del premio, la escuela recibió una actuación especial de los artistas nominados al Grammy Latino, Mau y Ricky.

Isabella Kercorian, profesora de música de segundo año en la academia, presentó la solicitud para que la escuela recibiera la donación. “Estos estudiantes le ponen mucho empeño, trabajan muy duro y son apasionados”, dijo la Señora Kercorian cuando se le preguntó cuál fue su inspiración para solicitar la donación. También explicó algunas de las formas en las que el programa de música se ajustó para enseñarles a los estudiantes durante las lecciones virtuales en la pandemia. “Tuvimos que ser realmente creativos sobre cómo continuaríamos aprendiendo sobre música, de hecho, nos convertimos en una unidad de composición”, dijo la señora Kercorian. “Aprendimos a escribir música y cómo los diferentes tipos de música impactan en diferentes situaciones, como en los videojuegos y las películas, por lo que tuvimos que ser un poco más creativos”.

Mau y Ricky, el dúo venezolano de pop latino y reggaeton que fueron los invitados especiales, sintieron que estar en esta academia se alineaba con el propósito de su carrera.

“[Nuestro propósito] es impactar la vida de las personas e inspirarlas a soñar, seguir y encontrar su propio propósito”, dijo Ricky. “Poder encontrarme con todos estos niños, la futura generación de música, nuestra cultura y nuestro mundo y poder impactarlos de alguna manera en estas pocas horas que tenemos con ellos y dejarles una marca lo suficientemente profunda como para que de alguna manera se inspiren a perseguir sus sueños”.

Mau y Ricky también enfrentaron su propio conjunto de desafíos durante la pandemia de COVID-19. Reconocieron a lo largo de la pandemia cuánta conexión personal tienen con los fanáticos. “Como artistas, mucho de lo que nos alimenta como creativos es la reacción de la gente”, dijo Mau.

“Si bien las redes sociales ayudaron al grupo a comunicarse y mantenerse en contacto con sus fanáticos, nada es igual a poder sentir esa validación personal, ya sea encontrándote con un fanático o escuchando el rugido de una multitud durante una presentación en vivo”.

El dúo también reconoce lo importante que es estar en contacto con los estudiantes en una etapa temprana de sus vidas. Tienen una sensación de recompensa, especialmente considerando el consejo que les dio su padre, Ricardo Montaner, cuando comenzaron su viaje en el negocio de la música.

“Tuvimos la oportunidad de tener a alguien como nuestro padre dentro de la música para guiarnos y darnos algún tipo de consejo al comienzo de nuestros sueños y carreras”, afirma Mau. “Sentimos la necesidad de hacer lo mismo con los niños y con las personas que están soñando con la posibilidad de algún día hacer lo que nosotros hacemos”.

Para Isabella Kercorian, esta donación y evento es un gran paso no solo para los niños de la escuela, sino también para los futuros estudiantes. “Necesitamos más formas de mostrarles [a los niños] que todo es posible para ellos y que realmente pueden hacer cualquier cosa que se propongan”, dijo Kercorian. “Que [Mau y Ricky] vinieran aquí, que Ford estuviera aquí y que el programa de los Latin Grammy estuviera aquí muestra que la gente cree en ellos. Creo que van a llevar la forma en que se ven a sí mismos como músicos a un nivel completamente nuevo”.

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