Sometimes the key to keeping kids out of trouble is keeping them entertained. A local nonprofit is doing that—using music. Their mentorship program shines in this 7Spotlight.
This looks like a typical music class, but these kids are learning more than hitting the right notes.
Rafael Leiva, student: “When I started it, I focused more on, like, easier songs.”
Rafael Leiva had never really played the guitar until he came to one of the after-school programs led by a local nonprofit group.
It’s called Guitars Over Guns Organization, nicknamed “Gogo” by the kids, and gives children and teens in underserved communities access to free music education and mentorship.
Sayonne Pabon is a vocalist for the band Lollipop, which is part of the program.
Soyanne Pabon, student: “It changed a lot of my life. I started singing more. I started being more into actually showing my talents more, more confident with singing, with announcing myself, and definitely with my posture and whatnot.”
Stepping out of their comfort zone is exactly what Guitars Over Guns encourages students to do.
The nonprofit provides tools to support young people facing challenges outside of class.
Caleb Alcime: “Some days, like, some students don’t want to pick up a drum kit at all, and you would just think that a kid is stubborn, but no, they might have not eaten today, or yesterday, And once you ask questions and you start to realize, like, ‘Oh, there’s a story behind all of this attitude and things like that.'”
Caleb Alcime was a student in the program a few years ago and now works as the organization’s coordinator.
Caleb Alcime, operations coordinator: “So there’s plenty of students who look just like me, coming from the same neighborhoods as myself, who kind of cut themselves short because they haven’t stepped out of that box.”
But having a place to turn to can make all the difference.
Lizette Ponce, student and mentor: “It was a fun experience because I could have sat there and I could’ve been doing anything else in the streets or at home, but I chose to sit there and come to an organization that showed me that I was loved, I was supported.”
Lizette Ponce is convinced the program saved her life.
Lizette Ponce: “The other route was honestly me being incarcerated, being on probation, and stuff like that.”
The inspiration for ‘Guitars Over Guns’ came years ago, while co-founder Dr. Chad Bernstein was a University of Miami student and visited a local youth detention center.
Chad Bernstein, co-founder of Guitars Over Guns: “We ended up playing a song against the better judgment of the security guards that told us not to bring the instruments in because they could be dangerous and then, you know, before you know, we’re all making music together. And then the walls completely came down, and the conversations that followed changed.”
And it’s leading to change across the country. Guitars Over Guns now has chapters in Chicago, Los Angeles, and New York City. Since its beginning, Guitars Over Guns has influenced the lives of more than 12,000 students.
Dr. Chad Bernstein: “My goal is for Guitars Over Guns to become the absolute best place for a musician to work and the absolute best place for a young person that’s curious about music to want to continue to explore that path.”
Dr. Bernstein says he will continue to provide a safe space for kids to create one big sound together with a shared sense of harmony.
Courtney Allen, 7News.
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