OCTOBER 21 • 2021 | 13

ments. Beyond the students 
themselves, that benefits both 
the symphony and the city.
”

THE JOY OF MUSIC
Kulish and Nyman were orga-
nizing outdoor activities for 
youngsters at Detroit parks 
when they decided they wanted 
to add indoor activities to their 
projects. They chose musical 
opportunities because of the 
enjoyment they valued on a 
very personal level. 
For Kulish, collecting instru-
ments for Detroit Harmony 
began before October as he 
learned of a violin that was 
not being used and was able to 
obtain it. His interest moved 
along to his son, who has 
promised two trumpets that are 
no longer the preferred instru-
ments of his own sons.
“When I was in elementary 
school in Southwest Detroit, 
they were teaching instru-
ments,
” recalls Kulish, CEO 
at Cormorant Co. in West 
Bloomfield, a DSO director 
emeritus and a grandson of a 
cantor.
“My family didn’t have the 
money to buy an instrument for 
me, but I had been given a har-
monica. I took the harmonica 
to school when I was in fourth 
grade and asked the teacher 
if somebody could teach me. 
They took me into the music 
class, and they taught me. I play 
to this day.
”
Nyman, owner 
of Professional 
Property 
Management in 
Birmingham, lis-
tened to the DSO 
before trying his 
own skills.
“I never had the 
opportunity to play an instru-
ment as a kid, but from the first 
time I was taken to the sympho-
ny, I fell in love with classical 
music and later all kinds of 
music,
” says Nyman, also active 

with the Anti-Defamation 
League. 
“Last year, I started to take 
piano lessons believing it’s never 
too late. It’s something I always 
wanted to do, and I’m hoping 
a few young people will get a 
spark from any instrument that 
basically changes their lives.
” 
Damien 
Crutcher, whose 
instrumental 
interests were 
launched at Cass 
Technical High 
School, is man-
aging director of 
Detroit Harmony. 
After earning a bachelor’s 
degree in music education at 
Michigan State University and 
a master’s degree in conducting 
at the University of Michigan, 
he became director of bands 
and orchestra at Southfield-
Lathrup High School, music 
director and conductor of the 
Farmington Community Band 
and founder of Crescendo 
Detroit, a nonprofit providing 
instrumental training for stu-
dents ages 5-18.

‘TRANSFORMATIVE’ 
FOR CHILDREN
“Getting 2,500 instruments into 
the hands of Detroit students 
and enrolling them in a music 
program will be transformative 
for these kids,
” Crutcher says. 
 “I’m looking forward to the 
day when all students in Detroit 
feel what it’s like to play that 
first note on an instrument.
”
An associated program 
outcome would be economic 
development in Detroit with 

employment for teaching art-
ists, instrument restorers and 
transportation providers among 
others. 
Among the sites where 
instruments can be donated 
are the Max M. and Marjorie 
S. Fisher Music Center 
in Detroit, Farmington 
Community Band in 
Farmington Hills, Marshall 
Music Co. in West Bloomfield 
and PNC Bank in Novi. A 
map of collection sites 
is available at dso.org/ 
community-and- 
learning/detroit-harmony.
Major support for the ini-

tial stage of Detroit Harmony 
comes from the Max M. and 
Marjorie S. Fisher Foundation 
and the Ralph C. Wilson, Jr. 
Foundation. Program enthu-
siasts are being sought to host 
an event, provide a drop-off 
site, spread the word, pick up 
instruments and purchase an 
instrument to donate.
As Kulish and Nyman 
enter into volunteer efforts, 
Kulish remembers two former 
classmates, one a Holocaust 
survivor, at Detroit’s Central 
High School. 
The classmates were 
instrument students, one on 
bass and one on trumpet. 
Both became members of the 
Cleveland Orchestra.
“Detroit schools can produce 
players like that,
” he says. “
As for 
me, I think of how important 
the harmonica has been. Over 
many hours, I could relax 
and play, and it’s been very 
soothing.
” 

“I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO THE 
DAY WHEN ALL STUDENTS IN 
DETROIT FEEL WHAT IT’S LIKE 

TO PLAY THAT FIRST NOTE.”

— DETROIT HARMONY’S DAMIEN CRUTCHER

Damien 
Crutcher

George 
Nyman

Harold Kulish 
still plays the 
harmonica.

