No one in Rashad Neal’s family plays an instrument despite loving many genres of music. But that didn’t stop the 10-year-old from picking up a guitar while living in an Inglewood shelter following the death of his father last year.
Because of that tragedy, his family participated in the shelter’s HomeLight Family Living, a program of Midnight Mission that provides housing and supportive services for homeless families, helping them to rebuild their lives. The program offers art and music for the children, run by Van Nuys resident Brent Nuffer, founder and executive director of the nonprofit Electric Moon Foundation.
Over the past year and a half, Rashad not only learned to strum the guitar while living at the Inglewood shelter, he also picked up the trumpet at his elementary school.
“I love the guitar, I love playing it and I love practicing it,” Rashad said. “I play some harmonica and the drums. I’m very grateful for the program and thankful for Brent too. (The program) has made me happier.”
Nuffer founded Electric Moon Foundation in 2023 focusing mostly on children in shelters, guiding them to express themselves through music and art.
“I had a rough upbringing as a kid” growing up in Michigan, Nuffer said, a songwriter and singer in a Pearl Jam cover band. “I was confused at the time and I was feeling kind of abandoned and I was very, very much bullied and I was kind of looking for a place where I fit in and where I had a voice. And I found music and rock ‘n roll and art, and I instantly felt I was home, where I was safe and it gave me refuge and it felt like a family within the bands. I just felt seen and heard for the first time.”
Today, Nuffer receives financial grants from various funders including the Seattle-based rock band, Pearl Jam, enabling him to donate musical instruments, including guitars, to sheltered children. Nuffer is currently working with 10 children at the Inglewood shelter. He also works with other organizations including nonprofit Alexandria House in Los Angeles, a transitional home that provides safe and supportive housing for women and children experiencing homelessness.
Rashad, his mom, and his 18-year-old sister reached that goal a few weeks ago and moved into an independent living space again.
“Rashad’s dad was killed about a year ago and the family became homeless as a result,” said Ricardo Rosales, director of the Inglewood-based HomeLight Family Living program. “I’ve always told people we’re not in the homeless business; we’re in the self-esteem business.”
Rosales agrees music helps children with their emotional well-being, giving them an outlet to express their feelings. “I’ve seen where it’s also helping them build their social skills,” he added about Nuffer’s work with the organization’s sheltered children.
Naika Neal, Rashad’s mother, said he was always interested in playing an instrument and he has changed since hooking up with Nuffer and other musical children at the shelter.
“He is more studious now,” Naika Neal said. “He enjoys going to the instruction classes. He really, really enjoys it very much. He’s always geared to go. Brent has been such a blessing to us. He has been so nice and kind.”
A group effort is underway by Nuffer and the children to write a song called the “Wild Zone” about a female elephant who lives on a planet full of war destruction and pollution. The elephant and a friend travel to a healthier planet to find seeds to plant on their destroyed planet with hopes of restoring it.
“It’s a slow song like you’re telling a story” said Rashad, a story about friends who support and help each other.
For more information about Electric Moon, visit electricmoonfoundation.org.