EDITORIAL
Youth Arts Embracing Creativity—and Conversation

 
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EDITORIAL
Youth Arts Embracing Creativity—and Conversation

Corey Depina, Program Director, Zumix

11-06-2024

When I was growing up in Roxbury (a neighborhood of Boston, Massachusetts, in the U.S.) as a first-generation immigrant from Cabo Verde, I didn’t excel in academics. But through the power of creative arts and nonprofit work, I found my path. The confidence I gained from youth arts programs transformed my life and empowered me to become a leader in my community and beyond. 

In 2017, I had the opportunity to visit Cabo Verde as a teaching artist, to teach hip hop history. Witnessing the need for instruments on Cabo Verde’s Fogo Island ignited a passion in me, leading to four years of dedicated work on the Fogo Project. My goal was to ensure that children there had access to instruments, opening doors to creative education and self-expression. In Boston, as a founding member of Zumix, I’ve spent over 30 years empowering youth through music and arts education. Zumix is a vibrant community hub where young people not only learn but thrive, discovering their voices and building confidence. 

As I reflect on my career, I am continually struck by the transformative power of creativity. Music education is not merely about teaching notes or rhythms; it’s also about cultivating an environment where young people feel empowered to express themselves and explore their identities. During my early teaching experiences, when I first asked students how they wanted to approach a lesson, their excitement and engagement taught me that when we make learning a shared experience, we unlock potential that may have otherwise remained dormant. 

For me, it’s as simple as drawing a physical roadmap that I hang up in class. After showing students where we’re going and how we plan to get there, I invite them to share their own goals for the class, and we incorporate those into the map. No one wants to just hop on for a ride without knowing the plan. Together, we collaborate on a path forward; if students want to make a stop and dive deeper into something, I can integrate that into our journey.

When young people engage in creative processes, they are not just making art; they are honing essential life skills—problem-solving, critical thinking, and emotional intelligence. The innovators and leaders of tomorrow often emerge from backgrounds where creativity is celebrated and nurtured.

Since you’re a reader of The Ensemble, you already know this from your own work. But navigating today’s landscape is a unique challenge. Young people have unprecedented access to media, which often leads to a reliance on popular opinions rather than the cultivation of their unique voices. I see this in the classroom when I ask students for their thoughts—they often hesitate, looking around for validation instead of trusting their instincts. This reluctance is disheartening. It highlights a pressing need within youth arts education: we must foster spaces for reflection and honest dialogue.

Such spaces can feel jarring to students whose lives are increasingly spent online, where trends, groupthink, and established ideas can overwhelm one’s own experiences. But that only makes these spaces more essential. Our classrooms are our greatest tools—places not just for creation but also for reflecting on the world around us. By helping students question what they see and offering them the tools to use technology creatively, we empower them to be confident about sharing their voices with the world.

So how do we walk that tightrope? We can start by being intentional in how we use technology, integrating it as a tool, not a crutch, so that classrooms remain spaces for genuine expression and discovery. We must also learn to embrace differences, immersing students in experiences that encourage them to step outside their comfort zones—whether through theater, collaborative art projects, or music creation. Augusto Boal’s Theatre of the Oppressed, which shares exercises that encourage empathy and conflict resolution, has been invaluable for me in helping students engage in role-reversal activities that help them explore diverse viewpoints and challenge their own assumptions.

Clearly, these are important exercises. But it is equally important that we talk about them. In a field where music serves as our shared language, it can be easy to overlook this crucial step. Questions like, “How did it feel to see the situation from another perspective?” or “What insights did you gain about your own views?” create an open space where no question is too silly, allowing for honest dialogue that not only enriches their artistry but fosters a deeper understanding of the world around them.

We know that access to music is a privilege denied to many. So is reflection. In a world that moves at breakneck speed, let’s strive to give students time and space to engage meaningfully with what they encounter—be it a piece of art or an issue of social justice. This vision for arts education requires us to think critically about how we engage young people in the creative process. It’s about more than just teaching techniques; it’s about inspiring a sense of belonging and community. 

The intersection of art and education is a space of constant evolution. We are constantly figuring it out—artists and educators alike learn and grow based on their audiences and environments. This ongoing journey demands that we remain bold, pushing boundaries and embracing new ideas. Remember: the creative process is itself a form of learning, one that invites experimentation and fosters curiosity.

Arts for Community Building, Arts Nonprofit, Arts-Based Life Skills, Augusto Boal, Boston, Cabo Verde, Collaborative Learning, Community Leadership, Corey Depina, Creative Confidence, Creative Education, Creative Process, Critical Thinking, Emotional Intelligence, Empathy and Dialogue, Empowerment through Arts, First-Generation Immigrant, Fogo Project, Inclusive Classrooms, Music Education, November 2024, Problem Solving, Reflective Spaces, Roxbury, Self-Expression, Social Justice in Arts, Technology in Education, Theatre of the Oppressed, Youth Arts Programs, Youth Empowerment, Youth Voices, Zumix Boston

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