Five Reasons why Working in a Youth Centre will Boost your Music Career
Volunteering in a youth centre can seriously up your game musically. Within most major cities in the UK you can find one with music and arts facilities.
A few years ago I was working as a teaching assistant in a school. As part of this job, we would visit a local youth centre, where the focus was on the arts (music, drama, dance, art, graphics, video etc). Once I saw the extent of the musical opportunities and facilities, I volunteered to work on their creative music projects.
After several months of volunteering, I generated a whole host of opportunities and met a lot of inspiring people. I advise any musician who’s looking for more opportunity to begin by contributing at a youth centre.
Here are 5 killer reasons why you should invest some of your time at a youth music centre!
1. BUILDING CONTACTS, NETWORKING AND MEETING THE OTHER LOCAL PROS
What came as a surprise to me was a number of local musicians who get involved with local projects. The majority of us want to contribute and working in a youth centre is definitely one way to do so.
I can’t think of a better way to meet like minded professionals- from producers to musicians, videographers and photographers.
I’m going to have name drop a few to emphasize the level of talent in local youth centres(sorry guys). The first guy Benjamin baffled me, as he’d featured as James Bond (Daniel Craig) in youtube’s rap battles and is in an amazing band called Ivan Campo. I’ll link the video it’s boss, warning it contains explicit lyrics. The second, Ben, a rapper from Manchester, was extremely creative and knew how to draw creativity out of the youngsters. Lastly Lorien, a sound engineer who’d worked with Corinne Bailey Rae, was working professionally on tours. Everyone of them gave me insights musically and professionally.
2. FREE PRACTICE SPACE AND RECORDING
One of the absolute best benefits is access to rehearsal space and a studio. As long you keep building rapport with the directors, staff, youth and show your worth, it is more than likely their facilities will be yours to use!
This in turn allowed me to save a lot of money on rehearsal space and recording (when we got a producer in).
* My biggest regret last summer was not learning how to use the recording facilities myself!
3. MAKE IT A WORKPLACE, GET PAID!
Youth centres are a lovely place to work and people really understand the value of your job as a musician.The director started offering me paid work for workshops. As I built more relationships with young people, their parents would seek me out for drum lessons because they knew and trusted me.Youth centres can be a great way to fast track your private students list.
4. KEEPING IN TOUCH WITH YOUNGER GENERATION OF MUSIC
If you want to stay ahead of the times, working with youth is a BONUS. You can stay up to date with new social platforms they’re using to distribute music, new sub genres of music are they listening to etc. The list goes on.
It’s also good to influence the next generation! Every 16 year old needs to know who James Brown is.
5.ON THAT NOTE… ‘I FEEL GOOD’
The biggest blessing of all is the people you get to work with. People who volunteer are caring and passionate people and they inspire you to be the same. A youth centre is a place of learning, humility, exploration, passion and when you share your skills and help others cultivate their own, there is massive reward.
Before I left the UK in March, one kid at the centre told me that I was good a player. This kid was 14 and was rapping and singing with some the most creative lyrics I have heard, as well as learning multiple instruments.
At his age this kid was remarkably talented, so I replied ‘No lad, you’re good, you’re exceptionally talented’. I explained why and he looked at me, then looked at the floor in grateful disbelief. l after a few seconds, he processed that information and smiled. At that moment you know you have a planted a seed of confidence which will have contributed to his growth.
Working in a youth centre helping others deal with the same process you go through helps you to be much calmer in the face of your own musical adversity!
Stay Moteevated.
Happy playing!
Tchau!
About the Author
Ryan Kaynon Smith is a professional Drummer from Manchester, UK. He currently works in Cape Verde with the Cross Point Band, from Romantic Corp. He still manages his corporate/function band The Alchemists while he is away and he is co-founder of @MusicMoteevation.
You can follow him on Twitter @RyanKaynon
***NOTE THIS IS A REPOST FROM THE MOTIVATION BLOG FROM WWW.MUSICMOTEEVATION.COM I AM STILL LEARNING THE ROPES AND I WILL SOON MAKE NATIVE CONTENT***
