[ FOX 21 ]: Program Helps Teens Express Themselves Through Music

(COLORADO SPRINGS) — It is a universal language, felt in the heart and poured out through creative lines of language and mended through the beats and rhythms of instruments. A group of teenagers split into two groups, one in production and one in writing, to form their own original masterpiece of a song.

“This is a Christmas gift to the kids that I work with, and they all love music and it’s an extension of our music program that we do in house,” said Director of the Kids Crossing Groundbreakers Program, Brad Rounsavell. “We also bring the kids up here about once a month for a tour of a professional recording studio to help them get plugged in to music.”

These teenagers range in age from 14 to 17 years old, each coming from different backgrounds and life experiences.

“So these are kids from foster care, kids that have been through probation, kids that have had some troubles in school, maybe been through truancy,” Rounsavell said.

While each one is different, they share a commonality in their passion for finding harmony and expressing themselves.

“When I make the lyrics, my feelings go into it, but my soul gets into it too,” said music participant, Andre Coleman. “So, it’s not just my mind, it’s not just my heart, it’s my soul that I connect to spiritually.”

The ability to teach music and inspire these youths is thanks to the Music House Winter Camp organized by Anthem Music Enterprises. The organization worked with the Kids Crossing Groundbreakers Program to work with professionals and channel their thoughts into tunes, which participants are so grateful for.

“They creating greatness, that’s all I’m going to say,” Coleman said. “They create greatness. They got a positive influence, they’re teaching. They’re teaching us skills that a lot of kids wouldn’t have.”

The Groundbreakers Program helps teen survivors of trauma or hardship learn life skills and teach them tools to help them in their future job search.

As the wave lengths flowed through the editing program, multiple sets of eyes watched the base of the beat come to life, with several sharing their ideas for improvement. A main goal of this music camp is to demonstrate how using sound can help one find their voice and even find healing.

“A lot of them are already wanting to be rappers or they just want to express their struggle and their pain,” Rounsavell said. “We incorporate in therapeutic concepts with music when we do it in house, and this is an extension of that, so we’re helping them connect with music in different ways.”

From Dec. 27 to Dec. 29, this music camp will take place, with the goal to successfully make three beats.

“They’re also going to learn all about promoting your music afterwards, using social media and getting connected to live performances and things like that,” Rounsavell shared. “So, some of the kids here are really talented and we’re hoping that this can be a springboard for them to be able to record their own music.”

“Groundbreakers, it’s a program for youth who have been either incarcerated or on the Medicaid program who can get healing and training to get into the job system, to get work,” said music participant, Jonathan Stephens. “They provide the training and landscaping and eventually shifts over to job hunting where you can get into the workforce.”

As each group perfected their role in creating this beat, it was easy to tell Stephens was ecstatic to record and have the chance to put his voice on a track.

“It’s an art form,” Stephens said. “It’s a chance to express oneself and the fact that so many people have had the chance to express it over thousands of years is really amazing, it’s beautiful.”

You can refer a youth participant online to join the Groundbreakers program.

While the smiles grew on many faces and feet tapped the ground, it reminds both staff and participants of how powerful the language of music really is.

“Music can be very therapeutic,” Rounsavell said. “It connects your left and right brain, so it helps kind of heal up some of that trauma and give them a purpose.”

While they have a beat to play on repeat, this experience is one that can always be found deep within the heart and even help in the future.

“A lot of the students that I work with… they’re poor, they don’t have the means to have something like this in their life,” Rounsavell said. “So, we want to provide that to them, so they have opportunities to express themselves and express their struggle.”