((PKG)) GUITAR MAKING
((Banner: Guitar Makers))
((Reporter/Camera: Deborah Block))
((Adapted by: Zdenko Novacki))
((Map: Manassas, Virginia))
((SKIP CHAPLES, FOUNDER, MUSIC FOR LIFE))
Music for Life is about providing music education opportunities to low income youth. Music programs can be extremely valuable in helping shape a child, developing their soft skills as well as some of their academic skills, and so forth. And the problem is in our public school systems today, music programs have been cut back, and they’ve become expensive, with various fees and so forth, so low income youth are not able to participate.
((KEVIN HERNANDEZ, STUDENT))
I'm trying to reach for the stars and trying to slowly progress in society. We're living in a trailer right now, but one day I want to express that I touched the stars, and that I made it.
((JAIDEN BORBA, STUDENT))
There's a lot of different steps, and don't think that it's really easy to build it. It takes time and effort.
((SKIP CHAPLES, FOUNDER, MUSIC FOR LIFE))
((NATS))
OK. So, if you’re OK here, and you’re sharp here, that means your string is too short.
((JARRIN WILDMAN, STUDENT))
If you get one thing wrong, even just by a millimeter, then the length of the string won't be right and you won't get the correct note on your strings.
((SKIP CHAPLES, FOUNDER, MUSIC FOR LIFE))
We started this program when a Boy Scout, one of my Boy Scout Eagles Scouts, was tragically shot and killed back in February of 2006. And he was an avid guitar player, and his parents wanted to do something that would give back to the community. So, I got together with the parents, a couple of other parents, and we started an organization.
((NATS))
((SKIP CHAPLES, FOUNDER, MUSIC FOR LIFE))
We use music, because music has more value than any other single activity. Music has been shown to help with cognitive skills. It helps relieve stress and tension that kids may feel if they’re low income and are in a world of denial, where they can’t have this, and they can’t have that.
((AUDREY DONE, STUDENT))
It's a lot to do with electricity. It's a lot about grounding, and how to conduct it to make music, and how much is needed, and how to make the notes the way you want it to be.
((SKIP CHAPLES, FOUNDER, MUSIC FOR LIFE))
The most comment we get about that is the fact, “I built something for myself. I built my own musical instrument. It’s mine. I did it. I actually figured out how to do it.”
((NATS))
