Teen brings joy of music to underprivileged children through community initiative

By Marybel Rodriguez

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    MIAMI (WFOR) — It’s the sound of music that inspires one South Florida teen to give back. In this week’s Miami Proud, we introduce Daniel Barrera, who is bringing the joy of music to underprivileged children.

Daniel Barrera, 17, has always had a passion for music, and it is this love for music that he turned into a project for children.

“For us, music is a way to find solace at times that may be difficult, and we want those kids that are going through challenges to find the same,” said Barrera.

His project, Melody in the Community, is an initiative focused on bringing the joy of music to underprivileged children. It all started in January after volunteering with classmates from SAS Wolfson at the Lotus House, a homeless shelter for women and children.

“I feel really happy for them because they may have just discovered something that they could do as a hobby for many years to come or maybe even as a career. So for us, we did our job well, which is to bring, through the opportunity of musical instruction, a musical education,” said Barrera.

For Daniel, it is a way of paying it forward. When he was four years old, he took up the violin in his homeland of Venezuela through an organization called El Sistema, which provided musical instruments and education to those in need.

“We believe in the universal power of music, and it is something that goes far beyond what you hear. It transcends economic boundaries and is something we can all appreciate together,” said Barrera.

“I want people to know that everything is possible. Even though I’m only a high school student, we’re still able to create great change in our local community, and I want people to feel empowered by that.”

Besides his role in this initiative, Daniel is an exceptional student with a strong academic record and a passion for leadership. He is co-president of the SAS Wolfson National Honor Society. Daniel started Melody in the Community with just a few classmates, and now more than 10 teachers and 50 students are involved.

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