Rapper helps to inspire musical youth
A group of young people from Hertfordshire have just completed a once in a lifetime musical project with one of the UK’s most respected urban musicians.
The seven-week project was run as a pilot by Hertfordshire Constabulary’s Gangs and Schools team with YC Hertfordshire Services for Young People, who teamed up with Quinton Green, a renowned musician and rapper who has worked with Stormzy. The project was devised to engage young people who are at risk of being drawn into gangs and violent crime, due to being excluded from school or having previous run ins with police.
Having spent much of his youth on the peripheries of gangs and violence, surviving multiple stab wounds, Quinton wanted to get involved in preventing young people from making similar mistakes.
The project took place in the music studio at YC Hertfordshire’s Watford Young People’s Centre.
The young people who took part in the project were selected from a group referred to the Gangs and Schools Team. The six young men got to work on writing, recording and producing original music, guided by Quinton and with support from YC Hertfordshire youth workers. The completed tracks were presented to the young people along with certificates of achievement for completing the course by Detective Superintendant Stuart Cheek.
Quinton Green said: ‘What I’ve been most impressed with is the engagement of the cohort and the interaction between one another, having not previously met before. The learners come from different areas across the county and they have all collaborated and developed a close bond across the seven-week course. They all have a 100 per cent attendance record, they’ve shown focus, versatility and a determination to complete the project. With the Help of YC Herts and the Gangs and Schools team we finished four tracks and a music video after spending just 21 hours in the studio.
‘The team at MMAP Workshops offer support with functional skills and also work to identify, develop and nurture aspirations. We have found that recognition, appreciation and praise helps to boost self-esteem and offer a positive sense of social significance. The application and feedback from the learners is testament to that. We have offered to support them where we can going forward. It’s been an amazing journey and one which has been rewarding for all involved.’
Sergeant Helen Croughton added: ‘This seven-week course has been a real success with fantastic engagement from the young people that have attended. They have shown real commitment turning up every week and have worked really hard on writing their own lyrics and recording these in the studio. The tracks that they have produced reflect this hard work and also show what huge talent and potential there is within the group. This has given the group a focus and something to work towards each week and it has given them a safe space to explore their emotions through the lyrics they have written. We will continue our ongoing one-to-one work with the young people and exploring further opportunities for them.’
Teresa Heritage, Executive Member for Children, Young People and Families said: ‘This project shows great partnership working to tackle a really important issue effecting young people in Hertfordshire. The young people had a fantastic opportunity to build up their skills with someone who has been through similar experiences.’
Music, along with sport, forms a key part of the engagement with the county’s young people as part of the #LivesNotKnives campaign and demonstrates that other life choices are available and can lead to success.
Follow the #livesnotknives campaign on Twitter @hertscyp.