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The Heartsong
Picture this:
A chirpy little 8 year old girl with bows in her hair and a tendency to sing her heart out every chance she got. In the shower with a hairbrush, in the car with an imaginary mic, in a choir with hundreds of other kids - the girl in the first polaroid on the slideshow. Now picture her discovering YouTube for the first time and immediately being drawn to any video she could find of people playing music. From Vevo to Tim Henson, she would watch it all, especially if it somehow included a guitar. Now, picture her finding out there was a new program happening at her school where kids could go into the music room during lunch time and learn guitar basics!
Perfect! Right?
Wrong. I didn't go the first two weeks, and on that third Monday, I opened the door to the music room to find at least 40 kids, likely more, scattered around a cramped multi-purpose room, and an underpaid, overworked music teacher who was quite literally sweating trying to keep the class somewhat under control. There were kids sharing guitars, some going without one at all, and the whole class was being forced to learn the same thing at the same time when it was clear nobody was on the same page. Understandably, the music teacher bluntly told me she was beyond capacity and I couldn't join the class.
I didn't know what to do.
Fortunately, I was lucky enough to be able to find ways to learn music elsewhere. For about 8 years now, I've been playing 6 different instruments and producing music for the last 2 years. In all honesty, it's saved my life and given it color. It has taught me countless lessons I couldn't capture in a word, a sentence, or even a novel if I tried, and I am so eternally grateful to have found other opportunities to discover my passion for music. However, not all stories that start the same way mine did have the same happy ending.
I was lucky. Luckier than most.
That's why I started Free for All. Because I'm tired of hearing story after story of kids that couldn't experience the blessing that is making music because it wasn't in the budget. Because it makes me sick to my stomach to know there are thousands of other little Matties who rely on the off chance they'll be able to use the underfunded programs like the one that was offered at my public schooI. I firmly believe there are benefits to be found in music education for every child, and I believe every child deserves the chance to reap them, regardless of their financial status.
My mission is to make this dream possible.
So thank you. Thank you for being here, for reading, for donating, for getting involved, for believing in me. In us. In this project. In the creative futures of the children we support. To any students of the program that may be reading: Thank you for trusting us to give you this gift. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. All of you.
Free for All, forever.
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