With an assist from Marcus Jones, Covered By Music is on a mission to nurture future Boston music stars

This local nonprofit, which operates a music camp taught by award-winning professionals, got a boost from Jones.

Even at music camp, Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones couldn’t resist breaking down a huddle at the end of a long day.

Football fans know Jones as an All-Pro punt returner and the first NFL player since 1947 to score a touchdown on offense, defense, and special teams in one season.

However, the students at the Covered By Music Foundation’s REAL program know Jones for his music and the time he spent with them during a three-day workshop held at The Record Co. in the South End earlier this month.

It was an opportunity for Jones to combine two of his off-the-field passions: Music-making and giving back to the community.

“I’m kind of glad that they don’t know me too well when it comes to football,” Jones said. “Some of the kids just listen to the music and they’re like ‘ok, Marcus Jones’ makes music and he plays for the Patriots but they don’t know and that’s a great thing on my end.”

“I love to end up making the main thing the main thing which is getting the kids here and giving them great information that they can end up using later on in life.”

During the program, local teens got hand-on lessons from music industry professionals on topics including songwriting, production, performance and entertainment law.

” The program stands for Realistic Experiences for Artists and Leaders,” Covered By Music co-founder Kirjuan Freeman said. “We wanted to give young creatives the opportunity to understand the real business and get a real education of what it’s like to be going out with a national recording artist or being in the studio with a national artist as well, being with a major label and what that looks like and being with professionals that’s done it at a high level.”

Grammy-winning producer David “Swagg R’Celious” Harris led sessions about song structure, composition, and arrangement. Alonzo Harris, music director for H.E.R., imparted his knowledge about programming, musicianship, and performance. Students were able to practice with Grammy-nominated songwriter Keli Nicole Price, who wrote Beyonce’s Deja Vu.

The teens took sips of Gatorade while taking notes during a powerpoint presentation from Harvard Law professor Brian Price. JAMN 94.5’s DJ Pup Dawg taught some fundamental mixing skills and tossed prizes such as t-shirts and sunglasses to those who answered correctly when he quizzed them. Celtics in-arena host Melisa Valdez was the movement coach and creative director.

King David Sibley, a 17-year-old program participant who aspires to become a recording artist, said he enjoyed making music while meeting new friends and learning from the instructors.

“Programs like these are important because they just bring out the best in people,” Sibley said. ” There’s a lot of cases where kids want to do stuff like this, but they don’t have the access to it and they’re just out and about. But, programs like the REAL program give us a space to be ourselves unapologetically and for that I am grateful.”

The program was co-founded by Jones, Freeman, and multi platinum-selling producer Keithen Foster. Freeman and Foster toured together as a band called “Elevation Theory” and the experience helped shape their lives. They developed a passion for helping young people who aspire to take a similar path because they saw how mentorship impacted their careers.

Foster remembers being inspired by Chris Loftin, the longtime bassist for R&B artist Brian McKnight’s band who played bass guitar at the Mattapan church Foster attended while he grew up.

“He ended up putting a bass in my hand and teaching me how to play bass,” Foster said. “As I got older I found out what he did for a living and I used to see and hear him saying things like ‘yeah I’ve got to go to Japan real fast, I’ll be right back’.

“I was like ‘that’s crazy’. The fact that this is a living is wild to me,” Foster added. “To this day we talk weekly. So, I like to remind people about how important mentorship is and having someone from the younger generation as a muse and to inspire and expose things through.”

Freeman and Foster developed the vision for the program, they brought Jones on as a co-founder and board chairman after Patriots executive Robyn Glaser connected the three of them via group text.

“Our foundation was something that I pitched to (Jones),” Freeman said. “I told him that I have a foundation idea and if you just come on and attach yourself to it, you come on as a co founder and chairman its going to set us up for major success because we already have a blueprint, but we need the amplification to take it to the next level.”

Jones’s passion for making music began at a young age as a hobby that both he and his father enjoyed. It’s now an offseason hobby for him because he has to remain completely focused on football during the season.

Being involved with Covered By Music allows Jones to give back while doing something he loves in his spare time.

“I sat on it for like a year and a half because I wanted to get settled here first with football and everything,” Jones said. “But when it comes down to the kids I’m always down for it.”