54 | MARCH 2 • 2023 

SPOTLIGHT

S

tudies show that music 
has a full spectrum 
of evidence-based 
health and wellness benefits 
for people with developmental 
disabilities. JARC works dili-
gently to secure opportunities 
to make music a part of daily 
life, especially knowing that 
it can stimulate the minds of 
people with developmental 
disabilities and can enhance 
their lives. 
The nonprofit organization 
serves adults with develop-
mental disabilities in Metro Detroit and 
has coordinated multiple virtual perfor-
mances by music students skilled in clar-
inet, all free of charge to the organization 
and the people they serve. One of their 
recent guests was clarinetist Citlamina 
Hernández on the evening of Dec. 15.
Citlamina is a native of Mexico and 
currently a master’s degree student in 
clarinet performance at the University 
of Cincinnati’s College-Conservatory of 
Music. Citlamina and the other students 
who have volunteered their time and tal-
ents to JARC are all scholarship recipients 
of the Digital Clarinet Academy’s Spirit 
of Community Scholarship, which was 
developed in January 2021 as a tribute 
to musician Lucile Myers who had two 
loves: people and music. 
The scholarship awards students with 
a membership to the Thrive program by 
Music 360, which provides them with 
live events, a video library, resources, a 
community and more, all with the goal of 
expanding their growth and empowering 
music students on their journey. As schol-

arship recipients, these 
students give back to the 
community by sharing 
their talents virtually to 
various organizations 
while spreading their 
love and enjoyment of 
the clarinet.
The people JARC serves are always 
excited by these highly anticipated 30- to 
45-minute performances and remain 
engaged throughout each virtual event. 
In addition to Citlamina, clarinet schol-
arship recipients Tim Hanley and Abbey 
Young have also performed virtually for 
JARC. These performers are all accom-
plished musicians and graduates of music 
schools and conservatories throughout 
the U.S. and Mexico. For JARC, students 
arrange an interactive session over Zoom 
with solo, duet and trio selections that 
include conversations about the pieces 
they perform. 
Tim, who is currently in a doctoral 
program at Rutgers University with a 
goal to teach at the college level, shared 
that the people JARC serves were one of 
the most engaging audiences he has ever 
played for, both in-person or online. “The 
performance was really great. They were 
all very engaged, asking a lot of questions 
about my instrument and sharing their 
thoughts on each piece I played.” 

The clarinetists typically play classical 
music pieces. Abbey has also performed a 
trio for JARC with two fellow musicians, 
a pianist and a celloist. 
“Live music is often not accessible to 
the people we serve, either because of the 
limitations of the venue or environmental 
factors such as extreme lighting, noise 
level and density of people,” shares JARC 
CEO Shaindle Braunstein. “The people 
we serve love music and welcome oppor-
tunities to explore all modalities of music. 
Private concerts enable those we serve to 
enjoy the experience, while also offering 
an opportunity to learn about music and 
different instruments.” 
JARC serves 120 people with devel-
opmental disabilities in 45 locations in 
Metro Detroit via group homes, indepen-
dent living services and in-home respite 
care. The organization strives to provide 
the highest quality of direct care services, 
alongside a wide range of social, recre-
ational and religious opportunities that 
ensure a full, rich life, all made possible 
through JARC’s relationships with indi-
viduals and organizations like the Digital 
Clarinet Academy. 
JARC is always looking for new, cre-
ative opportunities to enhance the lives of 
the people they serve. If you’re interested 
in volunteering with JARC, visit www.
jarc.org/volunteer. 

Accomplished musicians 
from the Digital Clarinet 
Academy play for the 
people who JARC serve.

Performance

A screen 
capture of 
the virtual 
event

Citlamina 
Hernández

Virtual

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