Kids’ Orchestra
Hometown: Baton Rouge
Age: 51
Only two years ago, the young nonprofit Kids’ Orchestra had a small reach, with about 70 children participating. Once Jody Hanet stepped in as executive director in 2013, that number skyrocketed.
Hanet, an LSU grad who taught in New Jersey and Arizona before returning to Baton Rouge, brought the nonprofit directly into local schools for presentations and instrument “petting zoos.” That helped Kids’ Orchestra grow its numbers to 750 students and 70 professional music instructors working in 23 local schools.
Her team is exposing children to music and instruments at a time when music education isn’t a top priority in school systems. Beyond getting their hands on a violin or woodwind for the first time, these kids are learning how to make music together.