This year’s annual summer day camp features a Musicology Program at the Sasha Bruce House. Popular interests among the young people we serve include music, rapping, and poetry. The program helps youth draw connections between storytelling and music as an art form that helps youth express strong feelings.
Youth in the program are taught to think critically about the lyrics of mainstream songs, write poetry and reflect on distressing life experiences. Each session focuses on a theme such as the meaning of love and D.C. neighborhood conflicts. All youth poems are anonymous so that the participants feel free to express themselves openly. One of the poems is below:
Our Stories
Last time I seen my father was when I was probably about twelve years old
He use to always tell me about his whole life in jail
He said when he grew up he never took an “L”
And when he finally failed , in his mind he never failed
Money, Cars, and clothes, 30’s, 40’s and hoes, he always said he had those
But only God will ever know
Selling coke and weed in the heat, and even the cold
Going once, going twice I guess my whole life is sold
Cause he always says he love me but his love is unknown.