The Sphinx Organization honored by Michelle Obama at White House

November 18, 2016, 8:51 PM · "There are millions of kids like this in this country, who do not have the resources to become everything that they could be...Fortunately, these programs are doing the job that sometimes the bigger society fails to do," said Michelle Obama Tuesday, after listening to a performance by the Perfect Fourth String Quartet, with young musicians Aidan Daniels, Maxwell Fairman, Peirce Ellis and Nicholas Reeves.

The program she was speaking about was Sphinx Overture, a beginning-violin program through the Michigan-based Sphinx Organization that offers free instruments and lessons to all of Flint’s public elementary schools and several in Detroit.

Representatives from Sphinx had come to the White House to accept the 2016 National Arts and Humanities Youth Program Award, an annual award that recognizes outstanding after-school arts and humanities programs. They were among 12 winners, chosen from 251 nominees nationwide. In addition to the trip to the White House, each winning program will receive a $10,000 grant.

Beginning at 47:00, here is the quartet's performance at the White House, followed by comments from the First Lady.