Youth On Record

Aretha Franklin singing "Rock Steady" at Devereux Cleo Wallace

As we approach the completion of our second year, we would like to express our gratitude to all of those who have lent support to us. We are proud to be part of Flobots.org, proud to be partnered with Devereux Cleo Wallace and Synergy Schools this quarter, proud to have our students writing for the Colorado Music Buzz Magazine, proud to be partnered with the Haven House of Homer, Alaska, but most of all proud to be working with the young people we serve. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! We look forward to a magical year.

Shiloh-Littleton Students with the Student Album

Baby G – Master R

Big Mac – Gone Home

Charger – This is Not the End

Dj Krazy J – The Hard LIfe

Double D Funk – A Tek

Magic – Florida with my Family

Scorpia Dj – Good Bye Disaster

The time has come for the completion of the student albums. Each of the students which we worked with this semester, at each of the three treatment centers, Devereux Cleo Wallace, Savio House and Shiloh House, have submitted a track to be featured on their respective student compilations. Each album is impressive for so many reasons, least of which is that each track represents what can be done with hard work, determination and enthusiasm.  Successful engagement in one’s treatment is the goal and we couldn’t be more proud of the young people’s achievement.

Student Albums at Devereux Cleo Wallace

Look for the new crop of music, it will be posted the week of November 21st. Thanks to all those who helped these accomplishments manifest. Congratulations to all our students, we are so proud of you!

So much going on! All classes are running smooth, meaning that the student’s music is on point. Never have we experienced so much quality production in the classroom! We will be posting new music soon. Also, check out our student’s writings in Colorado Music Buzz Magazine. Shout out to Denver’s own Dj Vajra, 2012 DMC World Champion. Thanks for representing our beautiful city.

Dj Vajra 2012 DMC World Champion

Yonnas Abraham, founder and lead emcee of Denver’s long time hip-hop group Pirate Signal and emcee of Blkhrts, taught with us this week at Savio. He treated the students to a performance and then did  the same piece a capella, so the students would be clear about the meaning of his words. Yonnas brings so much to the classroom production wise also, having produced most of his own music for almost fifteen years. Thanks brother! We are constantly trying to reinforce the idea to our students that there is a rich music community here in Denver for them to plug into and guest artists is one way of proving this to them.

Yonnas Abraham

Another fantastic artist, singer and songwriter, Matt Herz performed for us at Devereux Cleo Wallace this past week. Matt is also a profession sound engineer and holds a degree in kind from the University of Colorado at Denver. He performed for the students and then answered questions about working as both an engineer and artist, and what it takes to be successful at both. Thanks Matt!

Matt Herz at Devereux Cleo Wallace

Again, all the classes couldn’t be going better. It seems that the constant refining of our lesson plans and our unwillingness to yield to the many pressures and challenges we face, are beginning to really pay off. For example we have begun teaching music theory in all three classes using the circle of fifths as a tool to melody writing. We are so excited because if the students we work with can learn to navigate and produce quality music with some of the most advanced software available, what else might they be able to do?

Recording at Savio