A key component of Law Rocks’ mission is to promote youth music education. In 2023, the Law Rocks Board founded the Music Matters grant, given to a local nonprofit that supports youth music education in each of our US tour cities. Omi Crawford, Executive Director of Law Rocks, says of the grant initiative:
“Law Rocks has always been about championing nonprofits, especially local organizations that make a real difference in their community. The Music Matters grant deepens that commitment, helping support music education organizations nationwide as they change young lives through the power of music. It’s inspiring and exciting to learn more about each organizations work, truly one of the best things about this work!”
Law Rocks is going back to Gramps on Thursday, November 20, 2025 for another night of rock that brings the legal community together for a good cause. We’re rocking in support of local nonprofits and youth music education, and are pleased to announce Guitars Over Guns as this year’s Law Rocks Miami Music Matters grant recipient. With a core belief “that the arts, combined with strong, consistent mentorship and trauma-informed care, can reshape the trajectory of a student’s life", Guitars Over Guns is inspiring and empowering students everywhere.
Our 2025 Law Rocks Miami Music Matters Grant Recipient: Guitars Over Guns | Photo by Zenith Photography | Courtesy of Guitars Over Guns
1) Can you tell us a little about the history of your nonprofit, as well as its mission and focus?
Guitars Over Guns (GOGO) is a free, youth development program founded in 2008 in Miami by Dr. Chad Bernstein to empower young people through the transformative power of music and mentorship. Serving more than 1,000 youth annually across 30+ schools, summer camps, and community studios in Miami, Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City, GOGO provides safe, inspiring spaces during the critical after-school hours when students are most vulnerable to negative influences. While talent is universal, opportunity is not — GOGO works primarily with underserved youth, often in communities where arts programs have been defunded, helping young people see that they’re capable of more than they ever imagined. The program connects professional musicians and artists with students to build meaningful relationships, deliver high-quality arts programming, and foster trust, belonging, and self-expression. In addition to music and mentorship, GOGO integrates mental wellness support, career exploration, and guidance for life beyond the classroom, empowering youth to unlock their potential, find their voice, and thrive — on stage, in school, and in life — while creating a community where creativity and connection drive lasting change.
2) What is the best example of the way you’ve seen your organization’s work make a difference?
One of the best examples of the way Guitars Over Guns’ work makes a difference is the story of Jaylen Tyson, our upcoming Student of the Year. Jaylen was the first in his family to graduate high school and the first to attend college — an incredible milestone made possible through his hard work and the power of mentorship. When Jaylen first joined GOGO, he was passionate about music but struggling academically, carrying a 1.8 GPA and facing challenges after leaving our school site. Even after he transitioned out, our mentors stayed closely connected with him, promising him a drum set if he raised his grades. That encouragement lit a fire in him — Jaylen transferred schools, worked tirelessly, and brought his GPA up enough to make the honor roll. True to our word, he earned his drum set — and more importantly, his confidence soared. Today, Jaylen has gone from a 1.8 GPA to graduating as the valedictorian of his high school class and currently attends Florida Memorial University this fall on a full scholarship. His journey reflects everything GOGO stands for: building trust, creating opportunities, and helping young people see that they can achieve more than they ever dreamed possible.
Photo by Passion Ward | Courtesy of Guitars Over Guns
3) What are some upcoming initiatives that you are planning for?
We have several exciting initiatives on the horizon that are designed to deepen student engagement, expand creative opportunities, and build confidence through music and mentorship. In Miami, we’re building out ambassador bands in both the north and south regions to keep our most talented young people connected and engaged, even after they’ve aged out of our traditional school-based programs. These bands will provide performance opportunities, peer-to-peer mentorship, and a pathway for students to continue growing as artists and leaders.
We’re also launching a collaborative music video project where students from different schools and neighborhoods come together to select a song, write original lyrics, and create their own instrumentation, culminating in a professionally recorded and filmed video. This project brings students together across geography and culture, featuring Creole, English, and Spanish, and helps them gain confidence while expressing themselves creatively.
In addition, we’ll be coaching students to produce their third student album of entirely original songs, giving them hands-on experience in songwriting, recording, and collaboration. And looking ahead to next summer, we’re preparing to launch our first-ever seven-week summer camp in Miami — an eight-hour-a-day program designed to immerse students in music, mentorship, and community while helping them stay focused, avoid learning gaps, and remain on track academically. We also integrate visual arts into our programming and, in January, we’ll be hosting a career symposium where students can explore college pathways, learn about different career pillars, and connect with industry professionals.
Our work continues to show real impact: 96% of GOGO students either maintain or improve their GPAs compared to the 57% across public schools, demonstrating how powerful music and mentorship can be in transforming lives. At GOGO, we like to say that “music is the applesauce, and we sprinkle in the medicine of mentorship” — it’s the tool that draws students in, but what they leave with is confidence, opportunity, and belief in what’s possible.
4) What is the greatest challenge your organization faces?
One of the greatest challenges we face is the ongoing funding cuts to arts education and the real issues impacting today’s youth. Too often, the arts are seen as a “nice-to-have” rather than a “must-have,” but at Guitars Over Guns, we see every day how critical they are for young people’s growth, confidence, and long-term success. Many of the students we serve are navigating poverty, systemic inequities, and complex personal challenges, and creative expression becomes a lifeline. Music and the arts provide a safe, supportive space where students can process their experiences, build meaningful relationships with mentors who believe in them, and see new possibilities for their future. Our work fills the gap left when arts programs are defunded, proving that investing in creativity isn’t optional — it’s essential for helping young people build resilience, unlock their potential, and thrive despite the barriers they face.
Photo by Passion Ward | Courtesy of Guitars Over Guns
5) What does the power of music mean to you?
To us, the power of music lies in its ability to bring people together — it’s a universal language that transcends background, culture, and circumstance. One of the stories that best illustrates this comes from our founder, Dr. Chad Bernstein, and the moment that inspired the creation of Guitars Over Guns. About 18 years ago, Chad’s band was invited to speak with young men at a juvenile detention center. When they arrived, the guards told them they couldn’t bring in their guitars because the strings could be used as weapons. Before breaking into a jam , the band tried to talk to the young men, but nothing connected — there was a wall between them.
Then, the musicians started doing what they do best, playing a few tunes for the young men. Almost instantly, the students began bobbing their heads, making beats with pens and pencils on the table, and the entire energy in the room shifted. For the first time, they were engaged, laughing, and opening up in ways no one had seen before. The social worker who was there said she had never witnessed those kids share like that. That moment revealed something life-changing: music can break down walls when words alone can’t.
At GOGO, we’ve built our entire model around that belief. When you combine the power of music with the presence of a caring, consistent adult, you create trust, inspire expression, and help young people see new possibilities for themselves — often for the very first time.
6) How will the Music Matters grant be used?
We will use the $2,000 to help cover the costs of a professional recording session for our students — an experience that is truly life-changing. For many of the young people we serve, stepping into a studio, hearing their own voices recorded, and creating something they can be proud of is a powerful moment of transformation. It builds their confidence, validates their creativity, and shows them that their stories matter.
To put our impact into perspective, $5,000 covers one student’s full participation in our program for an entire year, including mentorship, music instruction, mental wellness support, and access to performance and recording opportunities. Every dollar directly fuels these life-changing experiences, and this investment will allow us to bring students together to collaborate on original songs, express themselves through music, and create something they never imagined possible.
Your support doesn’t just fund a session in the studio — it gives our students a platform, a voice, and a tangible reminder that their dreams are worth pursuing.
—
Learn more about Guitars Over Guns.
Get tickets to the 4th Annual Law Rocks Miami.
Header photo by Passion Ward.