27 April, 2026

On April 20, 2026, I provided a Hohner-sponsored Harmonikids session to 40 underserved child participants at the Truckee Meadows Boys & Girls Club. All students were focused and engaged throughout the session and asked many questions. The room was filled with curiosity, excitement, and enthusiasm. The kids giggled with joy and astonishment as I entertained them. Then each was thrilled as I handed them new Hohner harmonicas on which I gently taught them to accurately play four songs. They beamed with pride at their immediate success. It made a positive difference in the lives of these youth - joyfully boosting their confidence and self-esteem. For many, it was the first experience of learning to make music on a real musical instrument. Attached below is some feedback received from club music teachers Coral Kremsner, Kendall Hoopes .

~ Gary Allegretto, Founding Director of Harmonikids, www.harmonikids.org

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"I wanted to send thanks for all the benefits received through Harmonikids program at the Truckee Meadows Boys & Girls Club. The children were engaged from the moment Gary spoke to when he left the room. They continually raised their hands to ask questions about the harmonica and even the history behind the instrument. Gary’s program included information pertaining to the timeline and influence of the harmonica in history and incorporated it into his overall musical story. The children left with harmonicas of their own on which he taught them to accurately play 4 songs. That leads to excitement about our own music program within the Club itself. This type of enrichment was not only valuable to the kids and the club but to the music program overall to help maintain excitement for creative expression in their lives." 

~ Coral Kremsner, Kendall Hoopes, Music Arts Teachers, Boys & Girls Club of Truckee Meadows