Music-Based Services for Young People Experiencing Homelessness: Engaging Strengths and Creating Opportunities Brian L
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Music-Based Services for Young People Experiencing Homelessness: Engaging Strengths and Creating Opportunities Brian L. Kelly This study explores a music studio in a transitional living program for young people experiencing homelessness. Using an ethnographic approach, data were collected to explore: (a) young people’s experiences in the music studio, (b) the meanings they attach to their experiences, and (c) whether involvement in the studio engages their strengths. Study findings present a compelling narrative that supports the use of music-based services for young people experiencing homelessness as a way to engage their strengths and foster important opportunities for connection, engagement, and creative expression. Findings highlight the importance of challenging prescriptive notions of homeless youth and developing services that engage their strengths. IMPLICATIONS FOR PRACTICE and prioritizing homeless youths’ survival narratives. These narratives are explicitly framed as demonstra- • Agencies serving young people experiencing homeless- tions of homeless youths’ strength and resilience (Bend- ness may build on the tradition of using recreational, er, Thompson, McManus, Lantry, & Flynn, 2007; Kara- art, and music-based services to engage clients’ banow, Hughes, Ticknor, Kidd, & Patterson, 2010; Kidd strengths. & Davidson, 2007; Kidd & Evans, 2011). Social work and related fields have historically used he National Alliance to End Homelessness (2014) recreational, art, and music-based activities to engage estimates that over half a million young people up young people’s strengths (Addams, 1909; Coyle, 1948; Tto the age of 24 experience an episode of homeless- Kelly & Doherty, 2016). Social work scholars have ar- ness of one week or more annually. Given this high gued for the need to highlight these historical relation- prevalence rate, a large portion of youth homelessness ships and the inclusion of recreational, art, and music- research is framed from a risks and consequences per- based activities in current social work practice with spective. This research focuses on identifying youth youth (Andrews, 2001; Breton, 1990). Researchers and populations that are at increased risk for experiencing practitioners have responded to this call and reported homelessness, including young people who experience the successful use of these activities in engaging young trauma (Coates & McKenzie-Mohr, 2010), family con- people’s strengths, including the use of photography in flict (Congressional Research Service, 2013), and who community engagement efforts (Gant et al., 2009), vid- identify as LGBTQ (Rosario, Schrimshaw, & Hunter, eo production in promoting health literacy campaigns 2012a, 2012b). It also examines the consequences young (Stewart, Riecken, Scott, Tanaka, & Riecken, 2008), people experience as a result of being homeless, includ- theatre and drama techniques in assisting refugees and ing increased risk of exposure to violence (Finkelstein, recently arrived young immigrants with social adjust- 2005); physical and mental health problems (Beharry, ment issues (Rousseau et al., 2007), poetry in providing 2012; Edidin, Ganim, Hunter, & Karnik, 2012); engage- young people with authentic and meaningful voices in ment in risky sexual behaviors, which often result in school-based teacher/administrator-student relation- sexually transmitted diseases (Kennedy, Tucker, Green, ships (Mitra, 2009), and rap and hip-hop as a means Golinelli, & Ewing, 2012); and substance use (Ferguson, of promoting therapeutic dialogues (Olson-McBride & Jun, Bender, Thompson, & Pollio, 2010). Page, 2012) and prosocial skills (DeCarlo & Hockman, Despite these harsh realities, there is a growing body 2004). of homeless youth research grounded in the strengths While music-based services have great potential for perspective, which suggests that individuals who endure engaging young people’s strengths (Baker & Homan, terrible atrocities have an innate ability to rebound from 2007; Travis, 2013; Travis & Deepak, 2011; Tyson & Baf- those experiences; it promotes the idea that individuals four, 2004; Wolf & Wolf, 2012), little is known about inherently have a wealth of resources to draw upon to how music-based activities are used with homeless overcome traumatic events that seemingly threaten youth and whether these activities would engage their their ability to cope (Saleebey, 2012). Largely qualita- strengths. This article addresses this gap in the literature tive, this body of homeless youth research challenges by presenting findings from a study exploring a music the risks and consequences perspective by exploring studio in a transitional living program for young people Families in Society: The Journal of Contemporary Social Services 2017, 98(1), 57–68 ©2017 Alliance for Strong Families and Communities DOI: 10.1606/1044-3894.2017.9 ISSN: Print 1044-3894; Electronic 1945-1350 57 FAMILIES IN SOCIETY | Volume 98, No. 1 experiencing homelessness. Using an ethnographic ap- The music studio is a nondedicated space, serving the proach, data were collected to explore: (a) young peo- dual purposes of a conference room and music studio. ple’s experiences in the music studio, (b) the meanings Located in the northeast corner on the first floor of Bel- they attach to their experiences, and (c) whether in- fort (see Figure 1), large windows look out on the green volvement in the studio engages their strengths. Study space and add natural light to the room, thereby mak- findings present a compelling narrative that supports ing it feel open and inviting. The studio equipment is the use of music-based services for young people expe- housed in a cabinet secured by a master lock in order riencing homelessness as a way to engage their strengths to deter damage and/or theft. The studio equipment and foster important opportunities for connection, en- consists of a refurbished Apple IMac Desktop 21.5-inch gagement, and creative expression. 3.06GHz Intel Core 2 running Logic Pro 9, which is a software-based digital audio workstation complete with Methodology hard drive recording, playback, mixing, and master- ing capabilities. Additional studio equipment includes Site a Korg X5 synthesizer that works as a MIDI controller, The study occurred at Teen Living Programs (TLP) two Shure SM58LC dynamic microphones, one 15-foot Belfort House, a transitional living program for young microphone cable, one microphone stand, an M-Audio people between the ages of 18 to 22 experiencing home- Fast Track Pro 4X4 Mobile USB Audio/MIDI Interface lessness, located in the Bronzeville neighborhood on with Preamps, one 3-foot MIDI cable, and two sets of the South Side of Chicago, IL. Bronzeville was home to Sennheiser HD280 Pro Headphones for recording, many great artists and musicians throughout the 20th monitoring, and mixing purposes. century, including Richard Wright, Ida B. Wells, Muddy Waters, Buddy Guy, and Louis Armstrong. This rich leg- All Belfort young people are eligible to use the studio acy lives on in the neighborhood, as evidenced by mu- during hours of operation, which varied throughout rals and statues that decorate neighborhood boulevards. the study period. Staff with a background in music and Belfort House, better known simply as Belfort to young audio production software train young people on how people and staff, is located in the heart of Bronzeville. to use the studio equipment and provide additional With an efficient and modern design, Belfort adds a technical support as needed. Once young people are unique profile to the inner city spaces and structures trained, they are eligible to train other young people surrounding it. As Figure 1 shows, expansive green on how to use the equipment, thereby creating a peer- space—including gardens, lawns, and a patio—line the based learning environment. While staff spend some north, east, and west sides of the building. Young people time in the studio with young people, they do not su- are encouraged to work in the gardens, which produce pervise them, instead preferring to allow young people vegetables for community meals. to function independently. Figure 1. Belfort House interior floor plan. 58 Kelly | Music-Based Services for Young People Experiencing Homelessness: Engaging Strengths and Creating Opportunities Sample in the studio. These discussions were later developed All English-speaking young people and staff who en- into field notes as well and provided important insight gaged in the music studio during the study period were into the development of in-depth semistructured inter- asked for their permission to be observed, thereby em- view guides. Study interviews were conceptualized as ploying nonprobability purposive and homogenous research partnerships (Weiss, 1994) and intensive op- sampling. In nonprobability purposive sampling, the portunities (Charmaz, 2006) for young people and staff researcher intentionally includes participants thought to further discuss their experiences in the studio and to exhibit the phenomenon under study. This type of the meaning they attach to those experiences. I invited sampling is particularly useful in exploratory research young people and staff to participate in study interviews (Fortune & Reid, 1999). Homogenous sampling seeks during participant observations. All interviews took to reduce variation, thereby intensifying the phenom- place in a private office on the third floor of Belfort and enon under investigation and simplifying data analysis were audio recorded with respondents’ consent.