DMI: Daraja Strings and Clarinets for Conservation

Daraja Strings and Clarinets for Conservation are two components of the Daraja Music Initiative (DMI). DMI is a 501(c)(3) Not-For-Profit Organization that promotes awareness of valuable natural resources by actively engaging students and the community with the power of music.

Teaching secondary students in Tanzania to play musical instruments empowers them by improving problem-solving skills, facilitating self-sufficiency, and by providing a healthy creative outlet. Students and DMI teachers take part in innovative interdisciplinary performances/tree plantings throughout Tanzania to help connect musical instruments with the the environment, with the community–therefore fostering a sincere desire for a sustainable future.

The Daraja Strings program was started by viola professor, Hillary Herndon and students from the University of Tennessee, Daraja Strings provides instrumental music lessons at the Korongoni Secondary School in Moshi, Tanzania. We provide donated instruments and materials for the students who take part in six weeks of string orchestra and group classes. Last summer we held our first session Moshi and we are hoping to make this summer just as much of a success!