The music of Motown Records was formative to a generation of Detroiters.
NPR’s Don Gonyea would know — he was one of them.
But he found himself wondering about the next generation of Detroiters: Do they get a sense of pride and shared identity from Motown music? Or do they groan and roll their eyes when their parents play it in the car?
Gonyea visited one of the city’s best-known high schools to find out.
This article was originally published on WBUR.org.
Copyright 2026 WBUR