OK, this week I have a commentary that I get to share and it is very near and dear to the hip-hop community. This week I am reporting on location from Warm Beach, Washington where more than 80 students, mostly Native American, are participating as members of the Native American Music Academy hosted by Washington Music Mentors (WAMM).

Todd Denny — a member of the Olympia community — founded WAMM as Gear Up for Music. Denny later changed the name as it was often mistaken for another cool program of the same name.  The program has hosted academies for the Swinomish and Yakima Nations and has worked with so-called “at-risk” youth or basically young people dealing with disproportionately difficult life circumstances. (I prefer to avoid participating in the labeling of people when possible.)  The program addresses issues like drug abuse, sexual education, prescription drug abuse, problem gambling, and self-esteem building and life skills via musical and artistic teaching, learning and expression.

This week the Music Academy has enlisted a powerful group of coaches and presenters from The 25360 and beyond. The presenters, mostly volunteers, are coaching students in writing technique, song format, stage presence and more.  Coaches include Asliani, Savage Family, Antasha, Angel and Long Beach representative J. Ross Parrelli. 

I have to say that it is quite a privilege to witness and be a part of coaching the gifted students, especially as they are youth of color who are disproportionately represented in the criminal justice system, cases of poor health care and substance abuse.  Being that we are walking on the sacred ground of Native Americans wherever we go from Maine to Victoria Island, it is an unofficial requirement that our young Native American people (and all young people for that matter) are served with the best of educational, health and life options.  This program is addressing these options, decision-making and creativity via music – mostly hip-hop, but including soul, rock, country and indigenous music.  This IS the spirit of hip-hop, because hip-hop is the voice of the people — especially the people whose voices have historically and presently been silenced. 

The  Academy includes representatives of the Lower Elwa, Nooksack, Lummi, Swinomish, Muckleshoot, Tulalip, Sioux, Pima, Chehalis, Yurok, Squaxin, Yake, Cowlitz, Puyallup, Cowhichan, Malihal, Alaskan, Hawaiian, Samoan and Nez Perce nations. 

“We are working with almost 80 amazing kids who have a variety of gifts and talents,” says Rhonda Stone, the Community Education coordinator for the Evergreen Council on Problem Gambling and Academy Administrator.  “We are finding that like all youth, often kids don’t even recognize their gifts and talents.”

The students are sharing dynamic stories of their lives — both the tragedies and triumphs.  In the safe “family circles” student have shared stories of juvenile detention, survival of sexual and physical assaults by parents, and drug abuse.  Students also shared the tales of their earning “five months of sobriety,” removing themselves from gang life and leaving violent relationships. 

What is most revealing aside from their content is the reality that the students were at one time unwilling to share these stories, but through the arts they chose to share. 

“The branches never grow far from the roots”, says J. Ross Parrelli. “I have never been speechless from any performance until today – what the students are doing and the gifts that they have are amazing.”

New and upcoming releases

Slo Poke aka SP: Hometown Hero Pt. 2 (July 28, 2009)
J. Ross Parrelli: Lov’n Mak’n Music (August 15, 2009)
Andre Nickatina: Cake (Fall ’09)

Winners Train, Losers Complain… Do Yo’ Thang!

Peace & Love,

Jose S. Gutierrez Jr. is an editor, writer, producer, educator and consultant.  A graduate of Washington State University and student at The Evergreen State College, he writes and edits the Pacific Northwest section of Ozone Magazine and hosts and produces Live From I-5 Radio (since ’89) every Friday at 3 p.m. on KAOS 89.3 FM (www.kaosradio.org / Comcast Ch. 982 / TCTV Ch. 22) in Olympia.