Bringing Connection to More Classrooms

Music is the bridge that brings us together.

Our programs help students see themselves, each other, and the world around them with open-mindedness and respect.

Engaging hearts and minds

Through the power of music

Our world gets busy, and it can be a challenge for children to slow down and connect. Through live music and storytelling, Building Bridges with Music creates moments intended for just that. Moments where children can feel seen, heard, and included.

Our Approach

The Opening Note

Every experience begins with listening. We take time to understand your students, your space, and your goals, ensuring each program feels thoughtful, intentional, and aligned from the start.

Setting the Tempo

Live music, storytelling, and workshops set the tempo and create an experience that feels engaging and alive.

Playing Together

Students listen, ask questions, and take part in the moment. Through personal stories and creative expression, they begin to discover common ground and connect with one another in meaningful ways.

Lasting Resonance

Long after the final note fades, the experience stays with them. Students carry forward a deeper sense of connection, respect, and understanding that continues to shape how they relate to one another.

700

Places
Served

50K+

Children
Reached

30+

Years of
teaching

Our programs

Every experience begins with listening. We take time to understand students, their space, and their goals, to ensure each program feels thoughtful, intentional, and aligned from the start.

Assembly Workshops

Poetry Workshops

Sisters in Jazz

Harmonious
Animated Series

Harmonious brings the magic of Building Bridges with Music to life on screen. Through music, storytelling, and creative problem solving, children learn lessons that inspire them in classrooms and beyond.

Testimonials

The messages presented were very relevant for the students and presented in a fun, interactive way that the students enjoyed.”

Long Lake Elementary

I’ve witnessed multiple students walking away with a major confidence boost. Students who rarely engage with more traditional modes of expression find themselves shining in front of their peers, and for many of them, this is a new experience.”

Greenspire School

I was amazed at how engaged and productive the time was. The students were inspired by the professional authors in a way my curriculum can’t provide. The structure of the lesson and the models provided helped all students produce a fantastic poem. The fact that one of the poets worked for the Detroit Lions helped my students see a connection between school and the real world that they might not have seen otherwise.”

East Middle School

I couldn’t believe how many students were willing to share their work in front of the entire class. It was so very exciting for me to see.”

Central High School

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Founder of Building Bridges with Music

Jeff Haas

Jeff Haas is a jazz musician, composer, and educator who believes music brings people together, not only as a form of expression, but as a way to build understanding.

In the mid-1990s, while working with a diverse group of Detroit musicians, Jeff saw firsthand how budget cuts were removing music from public schools. Looking for a place to rehearse, he reached out to three inner city schools he had attended as a child and invited students to observe the sessions. What began as a practical solution quickly became something more meaningful.

What began as live music quickly became something deeper. Students were drawn not only to the sound, but to the musicians themselves — asking questions about friendship, collaboration, and how people from different backgrounds worked together. Jeff saw that music was creating space for curiosity, connection, and respect.

Those early classroom experiences planted the seeds for Building Bridges with Music, which Jeff continues to lead today — grounded in the belief that when children learn to listen, they begin to understand one another, and the world, in a new way.