Negativity and selfishness gets great publicity in our social networking, indirect-contact society. You’d be led to believe the world’s running low on good people and that no one cares for or respects one another anymore. Their only concerns are themselves; and when they’re in need, no one is willing to lend them a hand without reward.
This is not the case. Kind, caring, selflessly-generous people still exist. Deon Yates is a shining example.
An international jazz great and proud product of Detroit, MI, the skilled saxophone and flute player is as industrial as the Motor City’s heritage. Mr. Big Sax believes building a better future starts with the youth. Yates works closely with schools to encourage confidence, work ethic, and determination through music.
Having played with Detroit Symphony Civic Orchestra and recorded with such icons as Nick Colione, Brian Simpson, and Ronnie Laws, Yates acquired the right material as a solo act to build his own School of Funk. While good at what he does he’s also a good person and one who believes in helping others.
I asked Deon to tell me about a time when he did something nice for someone he didn’t know. Here’s what he shared.
“We’re talking about a product of my upbringing; I was taught by my dad it’s better to give than receive. He’d preach that to us all the time.
I remember as teenager me and a good friend of mine, world renowned bass player Rodney Whitaker – he’s the Professor of Jazz Studies at Michigan State now, we started playing jazz together.
Rodney and I used to go downtown Detroit in Greektown and play music on the corner. He’d play his bass, I’d have my flute or my sax, and people would come by and throw money in our case.
Detroit, like many other urban cities, they’ve got homeless people. There were lots of them in the area. What we started doing when people would give us money is split it with the homeless people who were up and down the street…until we saw some of them go to the liquor store and buy wine or something!
So, what we decided to do from that point was to feed them. Instead of giving them money after making our little money from playing on the street corner, we’d go the restaurants there in Greektown and buy them meals.
That’s when I first got my drive to really help people.” |THIS.
[By Mr. Joe Walker]
“We are the ones who make a brighter day, so let’s start giving.” – ‘We Are the World’
