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All over, access to the arts is not equally distributed. Whether it’s painting, sewing or in this case, music. Art hasn’t been something many Detroit kids can easily engage with. That’s partly because it takes money to make art available.

To help make art more accessible, The Joyce Foundation awarded a grant last year in collaboration with the Detroit Parks Coalition. With this support, Detroit-based saxophonist, composer, and educator Marcus Elliot created a series to bring music to the parks.

Sounds from the Park is more than music in the park. Each composition is inspired by the neighborhood’s community. As you continue to learn more about the uniqueness of Detroit and its history, it becomes easier to understand that it needs to be preserved in every form, including sonically.

This year, Sounds from the Park took the tunes to Clark Park and will make its way to Eliza Howell Park on August 2nd. Helping enrich the Sidewalk Detroit festival’s 10-year celebration.

Today on The Metro to tell us more about his new initiative, we had Marcus Elliot. He is an instructor of jazz saxophone at Wayne State University and the director of the Creative Arts Orchestra at the University of Michigan.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on-demand.

Listen to The Metro weekdays from 10 a.m. to noon ET on 101.9 FM and streaming on demand.

More stories from The Metro

This week, we’ve got several free concerts around the city to check out. Plus, looking ahead to this year’s Concert of Colors. Read on to learn more.

Upcoming events

On Friday, July 11, the City of Detroit’s Summer Music Series continues with Soul in the Parks. This free concert features a live performance by WDET’s Sounds Like Detroit 2024 winners, Drey Skonie & The Klouds, as well as food trucks, bounce houses and more in North Rosedale Park. The concert goes from 5–8 p.m., and free parking is available in the surrounding areas. For more information, visit Detroit Parks & Recreation on Facebook.

On Saturday, July 12, the Ferndale upcycled fashion boutique Not Sorry Goods is throwing a closing party to mark the end of operations for their brick-and-mortar storefront. From 11 a.m. to 6 p.m., there will be live DJs, drinks and deep discounts on the entire store. For more information, visit notsorrygoods.com.

Detroit’s annual diversity festival, the Concert of Colors returns for its 34th year on Wednesday, July 16 through Sunday, July 20. Highlights from this year’s lineup include soul legend Mavis Staples, Afrobeat pioneer Femi Kuti and Detroit’s Queen of the Blues Thornetta Davis. WDET will have special programming throughout the festival, including a live broadcast of The Don Was Motor City Playlist on Friday, July 18, a live broadcast of Essential Music on Saturday, July 19, and live DJ sets by Alternate Take’s Liz Warner and The New Music Show’s Shigeto on Sunday, July 20. All events are free and open to the public. To see the full lineup and learn more, visit our events page.

On Thursday, July 17, the Detroit Parks Coalition presents the second concert in saxophonist Marcus Elliot’s “Sounds From The Park” series. The series features original compositions inspired by different Detroit parks, as performed by Elliot and his ensemble. This month’s concert takes place in Clark Park and centers the theme of “Family & Resilience,” celebrating the culture and unity of Southwest Detroit. The concert goes from 6–9 p.m. For more information, visit detroitparkscoalition.com.