Detroit-based harpist to serenade shelter pets at adoption event

Artist Ackeem Salmon wants to soothe the animals while they “await their second chance at life”

May 27, 2025 at 4:03 pm
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Ackeem Salmon is a harpist, art director, educator, and interdisciplinary artist from Kingston, Jamaica. He’s now based in Detroit. - Courtesy of Ackeem Salmon
Courtesy of Ackeem Salmon
Ackeem Salmon is a harpist, art director, educator, and interdisciplinary artist from Kingston, Jamaica. He’s now based in Detroit.

Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit will host a concert for both two- and four-legged guests on Thursday as harpist Ackeem Salmon and the Wells International Foundation bring live music to the shelter’s kennels and cat condos.

The Sound & Sanctuary concert featuring Salmon’s harp performances will be open to the public from 3 p.m. to 4 p.m. at the shelter’s recently completed MaryAnn Wright Animal Adoption and Education Center at 16121 Reckinger Rd., Dearborn. Visitors can stroll through the shelter, meet adoptable animals, and listen to live music designed to soothe stressed pets.

The event is split into two sets: a concert for canines from 3 p.m. to 3:30 p.m., followed by a concert for cats from 3:30 to 4 p.m.

The shelter will remain open for adoptions until 6 p.m.

“I’m excited to be partnering with Friends for Animals and the Wells International Foundation for a unique musical experience rooted in care, compassion, and connection,” Salmon said. “I’ll be performing a live and intimate harp set as part of a walking concert in the kennel and cat condo areas – a space where rescue animals await their second chance at life.”

Friends for Animals COO Elaine Greene said the shelter has seen the calming effect music can have on its animals.

“Some studies show that certain types of music can have a calming effect on animals who are feeling stressed and overwhelmed while they wait for adoption,” Greene said. “In our experience, the animals seem to enjoy listening to music, and it also appears to have a calming effect on them.”

Salmon, an interdisciplinary artist from Kingston, Jamaica, and now based in Detroit, has performed at the Detroit Symphony Orchestra Hall, Faena Forum in Miami, and Théâtre Douze in Paris. His work blends fine art, photography, music, and immersive installations, earning him the 2024 Ashley Longshore Excellence in the Arts Award and the 2023 Gilda Snowden Award in Interdisciplinary Work from the Kresge Foundation.

U.S. nonprofit The Wells International Foundation supports women, children, youth, and persons of African descent through arts, literacy, study abroad, and other educational and cultural programs.

Friends for Animals of Metro Detroit, founded in 1993, rescues and rehomes about 1,800 dogs and cats annually. The organization aims to inspire the human-animal bond and is a fixture in the companion animal welfare community.

More information is available at metrodetroitanimals.org.