Summer Archives

Amara Uzoka Austin, TX - Kids In a New Groove / Care2Rock

Music and Mentorship: A Memoir

I have always loved music, and so had no problem believing that it was beneficial to disadvantaged groups of society. My entire viewpoint solely rested on the fact that I was good at singing, enjoyed it, and so therefore, there must be a greater purpose. My entire project was selfishly dependent on my love of music and me wanting to prove that there was a sort of nobility and honor in enjoying music and being a talented musician. Well, this summer quickly brought me to reality. I realized that music on its own, is not the only determining factor in how it influences people. It is so heavily dependent on the people. I briefly wrote upon this revelation in one of my weekly updates. It just dawned upon me as I worked with Karyn Scott who was tirelessly working to bring music to foster youth.

Here is this woman, who has no musical talents whatsoever (her own words!), devoting so much time and energy into ensuring that foster youth across the country have access to a musical education and mentoring relationship because of her belief in the power of music to bring about legitimate and sustainable change in these kids’ lives. Being around her energetic presence day in and day out helped me understand that while music is indeed a powerful tool, it is the people behind it that truly help bring about the lasting changes. The teachers who so patiently teach students day in and day out are the ones who ensure that music’s ability to heal is fully felt by the children they are mentoring.

At the end of my summer, I was finally able to interview two potential teachers for Care2Rock, and what stuck out the most to me in both interviews was their desire for using music as a pathway to build a relationship with these students. For them, the music was secondary and the mentorship and relationship that they foster with the students was of the utmost priority. It was not that they get an hour a week to force their love of music down someone’s throats, but rather, from the common love of music the teacher and student share, and build a relationship off of it.

I learned that the true power of music lies in its ability to connect people, and allow those connections to foster relationships, and Care2Rock will allow music to do that across the nation through the technology of webcams. Though my summer consisted mostly of office work, it was invigorating being around people like Karyn, Erich, and Ken, who all believed in the power of music without necessarily having any musical talents themselves. It greatly humbled me to find that one doesn’t necessarily have to be the best at music in order to believe in its incredible power of connecting people. Working with such diligent people has truly changed the way I think about music, and the way I think about relationships, and for that, I am incredibly grateful.

For more, please visit Kids In A New Groove and Care2Rock.