SAMMY Gonzalez

The Music Guru

When we met Sammy Gonzalez at his Wynwood School of Music, he told us that when the high school Miami Beach Rock Ensemble performed at his elementary school, it changed his life. He struggled as a kid, and the music room became his refuge. There he found his voice, his talent, his friends, his safe space, and most importantly, he found a mentor who truly cared for him and helped forge his path to becoming a musician and “the best version of himself”. 

Sammy went through the public school system growing up. He told us that had it not been for the free music access he had growing up, he wouldn’t be who or where he is today. Isn’t it fitting that Sammy provides a free and safe space to thousands of children in underserved schools of Miami-Dade. He founded @youngmusiciansunite which provides free in-school music education and instruments to over 3500 kids grades 5-12, and the YMU Recording studio which gives free access for students to record and produce music. 

The Wynwood School of Music is in an active school program for private lessons and rock ensemble, where anyone 8 years old – to as old as you want – for people who can afford music lessons. Young Musicians Unite (YMU) is for any child who cannot afford music lessons. Sammy ended our interview by telling us how privileged he feels to be in the position where he can work with students that can’t afford a music education and give them a free education, or ones who can and give them the best experience of their life. Sammy is truly paying it forward. He is now the mentor. He puts on over 100 youth performances a year and is now sharing the gift of music and watching it change kids’ lives for the better just as it did his own.