People prefer to operate within their comfort zone; within a familiar environment. Living in an adverse environment may be unpleasant, but it is the comfort zone for those born into it. It is difficult for them to believe they can move up to a better environment and that there are resources to help.
We take for granted the “common knowledge” passed on through daily conversations with family and friends; what we must realize is that those living in poverty or dysfunctional families often don’t have access to that “common knowledge”. One of the points made in our article on “Poverty’s Impact on Youth” is also relevant here. Those living in adverse environments may not believe they have control over their destiny. They have few, if any personal examples of others from within their environment achieving success; they may view lack of money as an insurmountable barrier to success.
The forces that keep any of us from being better than our parents are the same regardless of our socio-economic status. And the reasons we become better than our parents are also the same. Some have the personal strength to better themselves without intervention; for most, it is the intervention of someone else that motivates/inspires us to better ourselves. Music for Life uses music as the vehicle to make that happen. Those we serve are not only given a safe environment and chance to learn a useful skill but they also get to interact with experienced adults and gain some of that “common knowledge” that so many of us take for granted.
We operate a community, versus school based program because bringing solutions into the communities where our student’s reside is the most effective way to create lasting change. Providing programs in communities doesn’t just benefit the people who participate in them; it also helps develop a sense of pride and ownership in the community itself. It’s also the only way to reach those youth who for whatever reasons aren’t participating in school based programs.
