Helping Kids Become More Resilient Through Music Mentorship

Intermediate students play at the Parents Progress Recital at Musical Mentors in San Clemente, Calif., in 2019. Maki (R) is the volunteer mentor for this group, having gone through the entire program himself. Courtesy of Duff Rowden

In Southern California, music pastor Duff Rowden was riding on a bike trail when he came upon an orange orchard loaded with fruit.

“They were beautiful, large, ripe, and ready to eat,“ Rowden said. ”I thought I might take a couple, but they weren’t mine, so I rode away.”