ROCHESTER, N.Y. — Raul Zambrana loves his violin.

“This has basically been my violin since the start," said Zambrana. "So this is like my best friend.”

So much so that he even gave himself a name.

“In school, I’m kind of the know-it-all at music,” Zambrana said.

Pursuing his passion among other students at ROCMusic, a music instruction course that allows kids to learn, make friends and find their safe space.

“Whenever I am feeling down, sometimes I’ll go to my instrument and just play," said cellist Leo Weaver.

The program is free of cost.

“It feels really good because usually super good cellos, not even a scratch, costs like $1,000," Weaver said.

ROCMusic heavily relies on grants and donations to continue funding its instruments and instructors. They hope to give back to those who support them in return.

“We really want to be giving out, giving back to the community," said Rachel Mills, executive artistic director of ROCMusic. "This program isn’t just to develop music for oneself, it's also to be able to relate to the community and have something to offer.”

The program aims to remind the community.

“And just let people know what is going on in Rochester in this positive aspect in our community — the music program,” Mills added.