What do you like about Walk for Music?
Not everyone can play music, but everyone can move for it. Some people are rolling, some people are dancing – it gets people moving, on all levels. All ages, all ethnicities, all races. There are people in wheelchairs, people who come to get out and walk.
Walk for Music is a pretty simple ask for anyone who wants to participate. People who love and respect music will join us to walk for it. It’s also a physical statement. When you see hundreds of people doing it, you wonder what they’re doing. And you think, Oh, they’re walking for music? It’s like a unifier.
When was the first Walk for Music?
It was a long time ago now! It was in the Fenway, with a lot of organizations that would show up and participate. ZUMIX showed up in a big way! We brought a lot of people, and we raised a lot of funds. Eventually, we moved the walk to Eastie, and now, it brings people to our neighborhood. We even did a virtual walk during the pandemic.
Do you have a favorite Walk for Music memory?
The image of hundreds of people walking in a line – that’s very powerful. The Hot Tamale Brass Band is definitely a staple. We used to give out hot dogs at the end of the walk. The Trike Called Funk is always good time. And, of course, the T-shirts. They’ve become collectible items – we have a different color every year. It’s like a Hard Rock Café t-shirt. One year we even had the Hard Rock logo, because they sponsored us.
At the old ZUMIX building, we used to put sticky notes up on the wall for all the students who were fundraising. Every time anyone raised $10, we would put up a sticky note, and the goal was for everyone to reach $100. We had big paper thermometers on the walls.
Why do you Walk for Music?
I walk for music because I want other people to find a way to support us. My thing is: I’ll do the work, I’ll do the walking. You just give a dollar! It’s an easy way for people to show they care about what we do, either by giving or by showing up and walking.
Corey DePina is a ZUMIX alumnus and the Director of Programs at ZUMIX. Donate to his Walk for Music page here.