Zumix is born

1990 was the worst year of violence in Boston's history.

I founded ZUMIX with a friend in 1991. The idea was simple, to get kids off the streets and engaged in music. That first summer we worked with a group of 24 youth out of our apartment at 63A Maverick Square. This was an amazing group!

They spent the summer writing original songs that addressed the issue of youth violence in Boston. Their songs were great and their messages were powerful. They were creative and earnest, and I fell in love with the work.

In the next couple of years, the program grew and space became an issue. In 1994 I wrote my first letter to the City asking them to give me the abandoned Engine 40 Firehouse so I could create a state of the art youth center. They wrote back, thanking me for my interest and said they would "keep my letter on file."