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I recently built a bandcamp site that hosts some of the more recent recording projects that I’ve been working on with the youth. There are some very interesting topics that the youth have tackled such as dealing with the judicial system, teenage drama, drugs, skipping school and remembering loved ones,   Please note that I put up our previous years work as well, so there’s a lot of music to be heard.  These particular students attend Youth Services Alternatives (YSA), a non profit organization that serves South Eastern PA. Click here, to give those tracks a listen.

One of the standout songs from this years release is the song I Don’t Want to Die Young, which talks about the realities of what “at risk” youth go through.  The chorus challenges the peer pressure of being associated with a gang, that the idea of “coolness” can be disassociated from gang violence.  There are many children who feel that they have to be a part of something, which is natural.  Many times they are attracted to the violence, because that is what they are programmed to enjoy, through the media which continually perpetuates this madness, and what goes on in their hood, but I digress.  Below is the Chorus of the song:

I can be cool with out a knife or a gun.
I Don’t want to die young
I want to got to school and just have some fun
I Don’t want to die young
My friends make dumb mistakes I want to be the smart one
I Don’t want to die young yeah….

I Don’t Want to Die Young is  is telling the youth to focus on making better progress by aligning with the right people (ie. teachers and mentors), instead of focusing on hanging with the negative element. (ie gangs, the wrong kids)  Doing these things will increase your self esteem, and add years to your life expectancy.

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