Hello! My name is Blake and I've been lucky enough to be the music teacher at DSST: Cole since 2016, and I was last year's winner for the Curiosity Core Value Award.

In my time in this position, we've hoped to connect the brilliance of the young musicians at Cole with the larger music community in Denver, and we are so proud when given an opportunity to shine a light on the excellent work being done in our school.

Through all the community partnerships we have fostered over the last handful of years, it is easy to say that Swallow Hill Music has consistently been an organization we can turn to to make sure our school has the professional-quality equipment and instruments that our kids deserve. They have gone out of their way to provide ukuleles, banjos and guitars, among many other instruments as well as sound equipment. They have even helped with staging for the performances we host here at Cole.

We are glad to offer something in return and strengthen the work being done by their educators and team. I am grateful to Swallow Hill Music, the Cole Leadership, my coworkers, my students and their families for making the music program here as strong as it is and I look forward to the many future opportunities to shine a light on our students as they connect to their school, their community, and themselves through music!