Building Minds in East New York – by Sofia Perpetua

A school marching band teaches East New York children focus, perseverance, responsibility and discipline while it keeps them safe from the violent streets of this Brooklyn neighborhood. Their mentor is Kenyatte Hughes, an ex marine whose goal is to help the children find their way to college through the Soul Tigers Marching Band.


See transcript

Transcript :

TRANSCRIPT
If I’d tell you about East New York you wouldnt come back.
We got gangs all around us.
I just rather rather not go outside, I dont feel like explaining to anybody’s parents why they got shot.

Getting to school is an issue, leaving after band practice is an issue, getting home safely…
The park is the biggest space for us to practice in but we cant use it.

Soul Tigers is a catalyst to get into college.
We have the regular 292 kids that are coming.
Given the opportunity these kids can do anything.

Kenyatte: Left, left, left right. Ahh..I see somebody doing one, two, three…

They know there is more to their world than what’s going on in their hood.

Kenyatte: Heels?
Girls: Together.
Kenyatte: Toes?
Girls: Apart.
Kenyatte: March time. Did I show you that?

We’ll see what they’re talented to do. They might better fit an instrument because of their height or their size. You know everybody wants to play snare but they cant.

The Soul Tigers originally started over at PS 137 over in Brownsville. My Pops said, you’re going to join the band, you need something to do. So he put all three of us, all my brothers in it, and so it started from there. I remember doing parades in East New York, Down Picking…

Kenyatte: Lets go. Be still.

An musical instrument teaches you various disciplines, teaches you perseverance, teaches you responsibility, having to have your mouthpiece, having to have your reed, having to have your instruments that you need to be able to play that instrument.

I try to explain to them that it is a build up. It’s not just one day out of the blue I wanna go to college. You gotta work to go to college.

You have to do this, this and this but in order to get there you gotta excel in what you’re doing right now.

In life you need different tools.

In life your tools will be your education, your discipline that you learn either at home or at band. Everything that you learn here at band you can take and you can direct it toward different aspects in your life.

Someone to introduce them to something new, something different… sometimes is all that takes to change that kid’s life forever.

Drum player: Thank you!
Kenyatte: Sticks up!

Get the rest of the story

more info:

BEHIND-THE-SCENES STORY
When I heard Jeanette pitch this story in class I knew I wanted to film this marching band. Kenyatte Hughes is a very dedicated mentor to these East New York children. First time I visited the school, Kenyatte was waiting for me to show me the way to the practice room. He was more than happy to answer all my questions and to help me with everything. The children paid close attention to their teacher, they followed instructions, laughed, played, failed, tried again, played, failed, tried again until they they got into the rhythm. Their dedication to the band and their efforts to learn to play an instrument were inspiring.

Print Friendly, PDF & Email