Youth for Christ music production class in Franklinton helps teens express themselves

Tyler Smith hopes to be able to use music to reach other people with the message of God’s love.

Smith, 16, sat in a classroom at the Central Ohio Youth for Christ City Life Center in Franklinton on a recent afternoon, answering questions from his music teacher, Luke Chiocca, and getting tossed candy in return.

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The music production class had started six weeks before and was intended to help bring access to music to children and teens who may not typically be able to learn things like music production, editing and more.

It is an extension of the mission of Youth for Christ and the City Life Center, to reach children in need with the gospel. As part of that, students may have conversations about Christianity or it could be integrated into activities.

“Music has a way of expressing yourself,” said Chiocca, a volunteer with the class who has been writing music for years and does live sound professionally. “A lot of people aren’t able to learn it properly because of money. I think it’s something that should be for everyone.”

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The room — equipped with microphones, laptops with sound editing programs, a keyboard, a piano, a guitar and more — had been sitting there for a few years but had been mostly unused until Chiocca joined earlier this year, said Ann Partlow, after-school director at the center, which also hosts cooking classes, a basketball program and a pottery course for middle and high school students.

“A lot of students express themselves through music,” Partlow said. “With rap and poetry and spoken word and making beats you get to express yourself.”

Many young men who attend programs at the center have struggled with mental health issues. Smith said he has been working through some social anxiety, and being able to express his emotions through music has helped him.

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“Music is one of my passions,” he said. “Now I know how to actually use the sounds and what actually sounds good together and what doesn’t.”

The class was offered for the first time this fall. Officials at the center hope to offer it again in January and eventually expand it to include more advanced skills courses as well as internships and opportunities for students to shadow professionals.

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Partlow hopes students will be introduced to different skill sets and careers that can be done without a college degree. More generally, she hopes they feel a sense of belonging at the center, where the religious nonprofit runs after-school programs for at-risk youth. The programs include classes, like music production, as well as Bible study, mentoring, open gym time and homework help.

"We try to create this positive community kids can be a part of," she said.

Maurice McGinnis, 16, has been attending the center for about five years and wants to write music professionally when he grows up.

"Music's the main thing I love doing," he said after using his phone to play a mix of sounds he put together for the class on a computer. "I can write my own music and turn it into something good."

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During the six-week class, Smith worked to create a spoken word song set to piano music. The song is about the night he accepted Christ into his life, and he hopes to share it with those who ask him about his journey.

“I just want people to understand how I did it,” he said.

Smith was talking with a mentor at the center a few years ago, discussing how he’d been feeling down lately and his search for "internal happiness." The mentor asked what internal happiness meant to Smith, who said it was accepting Christ.

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The two prayed together, the man read Smith a verse of the Bible and the young man officially accepted Christ, right then, Smith said.

“Ever since then, my life’s been going up more,” Smith said.

dking@dispatch.com

@DanaeKing

This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Teens learn music production through Christian program in Franklinton