As a child, my parents enrolled me in piano lessons; my dad also played the piano. I guess you could say we were a musical family. I remember one Christmas dinner in particular where my family decided to sing carols with an amp and a microphone. The cousins, myself included, thought it was lame and decided to hangout and play video games in another room. The effects of music is something that, growing up, I don’t think I realized would have such a huge impact on me as an adult.
My dad still plays the piano and when I was a pre-teen, I decided to join the band and play the flute. My flute days were short-lived but it was fun while it lasted. Besides the piano and flute, music has accompanied some of the more major moments and memories in my life (like our wedding ceremony music). Have you ever thought about the music from your childhood and how it has affected your life?
image via A.I.R. Labs
I have. I grew up in the 80’s and 90’s when we actually watched music videos and had to stand in line to wait for concert tickets. My first concert just happened to be a Notorious B.I.G. show and even though that was many years ago, I still can’t believe it happened. As I was thinking over the weekend of the songs that made the most impact on my life growing up, there were a few songs that immediately came to mind:
TLC – “What About Your Friends“: I was slightly obsessed with them.
Queen Latifah – “U.N.I.T.Y.“: Great message and it’s still relevant today.
Digable Planets – “Rebirth of Slick“: I mean, it’s still good even today.
The Pharcyde – “Passin’ Me By“: Timeless.
See the effects of music
What if we were able to ask youth about the soundtracks of their lives? What if we were able to show them how to actually create the soundtrack of their lives? Well, thanks to my super-smart and cool friend, Seun, you can. Seun is the owner of A.I.R. Labs, which is a space here in Chattanooga that helps inspire and encourage digital confidence for youth and adults. A.I.R. Labs is launching a program called, Rhythm Labs which will teach Chattanooga youth the ins and outs of music production.
Image via A.I.R. Labs
I’m particularly excited about this program because it’ll encourage youth to learn more about creative career options but also because the husband will be part of the team teaching the youth! If you’re wondering how you can help, it’s really easy. Simply donate then share the program’s Indiegogo campaign. One of the major upfront costs for Rhythm Lab is the hardware and software to teach the classes. Will you help change the lives of some deserving youth?
Who knows, some of these students may produce a song that will be a memorable music moment for the next generation. Now let’s create some music!
