Five months ago, I contacted the director of the Whatcom County Juvenile Detention Center to see if I could bring guitars in and teach some lessons to the kids. After a background check, I was cleared to come try it out. And about every Tuesday night since I have been showing up there with various instruments, and an open heart.
This idea didn’t just come out of thin air. I’ve come to see that when people feel successful and understood, they are less likely to behave in damaging ways. I had my rocky teenage years, and struggled to feel understood. I found the guitar, and that became a safe place for me to creatively express the complexities of my emotions. Music was something I could be good at, and it was a new way to connect with others.
Music alone wasn’t enough to set me on the right track. I needed positive influences in my life and was lucky to find them. I found such influences among family, friends, teachers, and eventually therapists. By the time I hit my 30s, I started performing music for others and that made me feel successful and connected.
It is exactly those feelings that I want to give the kids in the Juvenile Detention Center. To help with that, I switch up the activities. Sometimes I borrow my friend’s Djembe and percussion and bring that in, which is great because those instruments don’t have a huge learning curve and the kids can just dive right in. Sometimes I coordinate lyric-writing sessions and provide a little instruction on the emotional power of metaphor. Sometimes I just play a song for the kids and talk about it. Then I ask how they are doing.
I am honored to get support from the community for this. Recently I was gifted ukuleles and other instruments from Devin at Champlin Guitars and from Cat at Wind Works. Now I am working on a grant for more djembes and other instruments to submit to the Whatcom Community Foundation. Stay tuned for progress on that.
If you have any questions or comments about this work, please send me an email. Bo@FlowMusicLessons.com
And as always, if you or someone you know would like guitar or piano lessons, send me a message!
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