Southampton - Renaissance E.M.S envisions a world where all individuals are afforded the chance to maximize their potential, regardless of socio-economic background or ethnicity. They strive to instill within students the values of self-worth, pride, commitment, perseverance, and family reverence through discipline, mentoring, academic programs and positive role modeling.

The Music With A Message youth band (MWAM) is a project of Renaissance E.M.S, a South Bronx nonprofit organization serving inner city youth from the ages of six to19. The MWAM band features 25 talented youth with a passion for performance, drawn from Renaissance E.M.S. music programs and open auditions across NYC. Bervin Harris, co-founder of Renaissance E.M.S. and MWAM coordinator, is an accomplished singer-songwriter, producer and recording artist for Capital Records. He has written and produced for artists such as Mary J. Blige, Eddie Murphy and rap artist KRS-One, and has written and scored the all-star stage play "I Sing For Love," among others. Bervin is working as co-executive Director and co-founder with Renaissance EMS, and teaches 17 music classes a week at six contracted public NYC schools and at our own program site in the Bronx.

This summer, the MWAM tour will feature 50 to 60 free concerts at housing developments, parks, beaches schools, and sporting events across the five boroughs, Long Island and parts of New Jersey, and are currently looking for venues for their concerts. The MWAM band will transport its equipment to indoor and outdoor venues on a truck with a mobile stage, and perform original songs exploring themes of family, pride, non-violence, love, health and nutrition and performances will feature accessible lyrics and catchy melodies addressing the public health challenges faced by inner city communities, and a fitness DVD to help audience members put their enthusiasm into practice. Band members will also take part in their own health challenge, maintaining a fitness regimen, shifting their collective weight as an ensemble, and documenting their personal growth through video testimonies.