Follow Your Heart Arts
The Follow Your Heart Arts Program is a music education and advocacy program located in north Mississippi and available to elementary and high school students free of charge. Our program enlists Music Education majors from local universities to teach students the basics of instrumental performance on the guitar and ukulele. We also provide participants with a deeper understanding of Mississippi’s rich musical heritage and invite them to explore the many careers available within today’s music industry. With the help of our partners, we now offer a variety of classes to several north Mississippi communities.
“As a kid growing up in Grenada, Mississippi, I didn’t fit in on any sports team or club, but music always made sense. When I was handed my first guitar, everything clicked. With my hands wrapped around those six strings, I found a sense of purpose. I’ve gone on to make a career in the music industry, but even if I hadn’t stuck with music, it was music that first set me on a path of self discovery.
There are a lot of kids growing up in Mississippi today who didnt make the sports team, yet need a sense of belonging. Many of those kids cannot afford music lessons, even though Mississippi is home to the King of Rock and Roll, the King of the Blues, and the Father of Country Music. I believe that if we can put guitars in young people’s hands, if we can show them the magic of the place where they are growing up, we will have given them the tools they need to change their world.
That’s why we founded the Follow Your Heart Arts Program, and that’s our mission - to empower and educate the youth of Mississippi, one guitar at a time.”
- Charlie Worsham