West Baltimore music program inspires generations of musicians

For nearly 20 years, a music academy in Baltimore has been molding musicians every summer.

The B-Sharp Summer Music Enrichment Academy operates out of Timothy Baptist Church. It gives youth ages 8-to-18 the chance to learn an array of instruments.

The program builds community, too, and fosters a lifelong love for the art.

Music for all

B-Sharp began in 2008 by Eartha Lamkin at the request of Timothy Baptist Church's pastor, Rev. Terry McCullum, according to her husband, John Lamkin II.

Lamkin was asked to take over when his wife died in 2020, and he serves as the CEO and director to this day.

All students who participate in B-Sharp take up two instruments for the summer, including the flute, guitar, trumpet, or honing their singing voice, among others.

The students also learn music theory and even dance.

"We wanted to teach everything," Lamkin said. "Not just jazz, not just classical, not just religious or gospel, rap -- we wanted to teach it all."

Lamkin said the goal is to make music approachable, fun, but also show it's a viable career. Lamkin himself is a renowned trumpeter, while his late wife was a renowned singer.

The couple is also well-established music educators.

You can learn more about the program here. 

Inspiring others

This year's program marks Thomas Cudjoe's third summer attending B-Sharp.

He normally plays the trumpet, but this summer he's trying to add the French horn to his repertoire.

For Cudjoe, music is his outlet, as well as his community.

"I like the way it sounds and I want to be able to express it myself," he said. "Most people when they talk with their friends, they probably talk about sports or something. I can talk about music with my friends here. I feel at home."

The overall goal of the academy is to inspire every student to give the gift of music back.

It's what happened with Joe Ruffin, he attended B-Sharp for ten straight summers. His time in the program even inspired him to pursue music at Morgan State University, where he just wrapped up his freshman year.

2026 is his first year not being a B-Sharp student, instead, helping out.

"I don't have to do this, but it feels almost like a duty for me to [do this]. I would be wrong if I didn't try to introduce this to the youth today," Ruffin said.