Photographer: Octavia Olds; M-1 Studio
To Celebrate, Save The Music + Bose Hosted a Hands-On Speaker
Build Workshop with Southfield High Students
In 2025, Save The Music teamed up with Bose, world renowned for premium audio, to deliver a J Dilla Music Technology Grant to Southfield High School for the Arts and Technology in Metro Detroit. The grant includes over 400 pieces of music technology, equipment and is bringing cutting-edge tools and learning opportunities into the classroom.
To celebrate Bose’s commitment to audio and music, Save The Music facilitated a student activation at Southfield High School, inviting Bose employees to the classroom to see the grant in action. As part of this activation, Bose brought an unforgettable, hands-on audio engineering experience to students. A group of 8 Bose employees – Rashaan Josey, Aaron Jeferson, Tim Shield, Michael Rogers, Courtney Catcho, Timmothy Phung, Yolanda Kempf, and Dawn Henderson – led a full “Speaker Build” workshop designed to spark curiosity, creativity, and technical confidence in the next generation of music makers.
Inside the Speaker Build Workshop
Save The Music introduced the Bose team who then led a planned lesson on the science of sound; drawing a connection to the J Dilla Music Technology grant. Bose broke down how speakers actually work — from electrical signals and magnets to cones, coils, and vibration.
Students then rolled up their sleeves and got to work:
- Assembling their own functioning speakers
- Learning how each component affects sound quality
- Experimenting with enclosure design and airflow
- Testing their builds with their favorite music and beats
The room lit up as students powered on their speakers for the first time — hearing their hard work come alive through systems they built themselves.
The Bose x Save The Music Impact
Save The Music is proud to partner with Bose to bring music technology to more classrooms in Metro Detroit. In addition to directly expanding access to music technology, the event at Southfield High School helped students envision career pathways and see themselves as creators, engineers, and innovators. For many, this was their first time building a piece of audio equipment from the ground up, an experience that has the potential to shift a young person’s perspective on what’s possible.
“Through our partnership with Save The Music, we are helping local high school students experience the science and creativity behind modern audio firsthand,” said Rashaan Josey, President of Bose Automative. “From building their own speakers to discussing real STEAM career paths, these opportunities open the next generation’s eyes to what’s possible and remind us why investing in music and technology matters.”
Stay tuned for more highlights from this partnership and the inspiring work happening inside Southfield High’s music technology program.