With the support of music instructor Aaron Z. Katz, the boys are encouraged to write of their own struggles to come to grips with their pasts. The painful recollections - which stand in contrast to the more joyful songs on the CD - help tell the story of boys who struggle daily to heal childhood trauma.
“Watching the kids work so hard to express their experience through lyrics and music is profoundly humbling and moving,’’ said Katz. “Putting yourself out there with music can make you feel exposed and vulnerable. I see firsthand how hard that is for these kids to do, and I am in awe of them when they do it.’’
Plummer Home, on Winter Island, provides a safe and nurturing environment for boys ages 12 to 18 who have no families, or families who can’t care for them. It also has a preindependent-living program for ages 16 to 22.
“Everything we do at Plummer Home is designed to help our boys succeed as adults. And success requires the ability to communicate,’’ said executive director James Lister. “To be successful in music, you have to communicate with your band mates, so it is a perfect tool for teaching these skills. Our kids come from families in which healthy communication probably wasn’t modeled or taught. So we are really starting at ground zero.’’
For more information, visit www.plummerhome.org.
THANKS FOR HELPING: The Torigian Family YMCA of Peabody was among 70 national corporate and nonprofit organizations recognized at the Capitol in Washington, D.C., for their commitment to employing people with mental illnesses.
US Representative John Tierney presented the award.
Since 2006, the Torigian Family YMCA has employed members of Pioneer House, a day program in downtown Peabody for people with chronic mental illnesses.
As well as receiving socialization, a hot lunch, and recreational opportunities, members of Pioneer House receive employment training and community-based job opportunities.
For information about Pioneer House, visit www.hes-inc.org.
