Entertainer, comedian and host Steve Harvey sat down with local musician Shamarr Allen today to talk about the program he created : “Trumpet Is My Weapon” – a gun-for-trumpet exchange.

Seeing that gun violence is a prevalent issue in his community, Allen wanted to give the youth a chance to turn to music instead of violence. Any kid with a gun throughout New Orleans can hand it over to him – no questions asked – in exchange for a free trumpet. He has successfully been able to give away (7) brand-new trumpets already and, to reward him for his part in bettering New Orleans, Steve Harvey rewarded Allen with $10,000 to continue his mission.

Allen told Harvey, “I woke up one morning lying in bed and I turned on the TV and there was a nine-year-old kid that had gotten killed named Devante. I have a nine-year-old son whose name is Dante so, for me, it just hit me differently. It could have easily been my son, so I decided to see what I can do to be a part of the solution…I posted on Instagram to all the youth in New Orleans to give me a gun and I’ll give them a trumpet. No questions asked.”

Allen says that it was music that saved him from a life of violence and that he hopes others will be inspired to choose the arts over guns.

Harvey said, “The average American is not faced with what’s happening in a lot of these communities. I’ve heard people say ‘Why don’t they just leave.’ Wait a minute, leave and go where? When you have just enough to stay where you’re at. You’ve got just enough to survive until the next check comes in..and I think people don’t understand either, this is all some people know as home.”

Watch the episode below.