Luis Coronel, Latin Grammy Donate $20K In Instruments To School After Hurricane Harvey Loss

The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation concluded the thirteenth edition of its Latin Grammy In The Schools program in collaboration with Ford Motor Company Fund and Regional Mexican Singer Luis Coronel, with a donation of musical instruments valued at $20,000 for A.C. Blunt Middle School, in Aransas Pass, a community located 3 hours from Austin, TX, which suffered great losses due to Hurricane Harvey. Aransas Pass is a neglected and under-served community with a significant Latino population.

The hurricane not only caused damage to the school that has been closed since August 2017, but also to the school's music program. Since August, the students have had to attend school in temporary and improvised spaces, and are enthused to return to their school that re-opens this month and to play music once again.

The conversation and performance by Coronel inspired the aspiring musicians. He additionally shared advice with the students who had the opportunity to perform in front of their peers and school faculty. But this event was more than conversation and performances, rather a cause for celebration and an opportunity to heal a community through the power of music. The Latin Grammy in the Schools program serves to motivate and encourage marginalized communities and remind them of their unlimited potential.

"It is a pleasure to be with students who have worked hard to study and follow their dreams in music, despite all the difficulty of losing everything because of Hurricane Harvey," wrote Luis Coronel on his Instagram account.

The Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation is an educational program that informs and connects music students with Latin music industry professionals and supports music departments of educational institutions with financial limitations.

The Foundation invites artists, professional musicians or sound engineers to visit middle and high schools, universities or music educational institutions in order to share with students their personal stories and experiences that highlight the efforts and perseverance it takes to overcome obstacles and barriers in their careers. The goal is for students to learn to optimize educational opportunities presented to them to be able to compete in the music industry with an advantage and strong academic preparation.

The Foundation has hosted events in schools and music institutions in countries such as Argentina, Colombia, Chile, Mexico, Peru, Puerto Rico, Spain and the United States. Artists who have participated in the program include: David Bisbal, Calle 13, Pedro Capó, Joss Favela, Luis Fonsi, Gente de Zona, Leslie Grace, Jesse & Joy, Natalia Lafourcade, Ángel Cucco Peña, Prince Royce, Gilberto Santa Rosa, Diego Torres, Carlos Vives, and Wisin, among others.