“On a New Track” Reentry Mentoring Program
Hand in hand with our supporters, this year we look forward to continuing to promote music, opportunity, and equity for all those impacted by the prison system.
One especially exciting project in 2022 will be the continuation and expansion of our On a New Track Reentry Mentoring Program. For those who have been incarcerated, returning to life outside of prison can be challenging. In fact, approximately 67% of those formerly incarcerated are rearrested within 3 years of their initial release. On a New Track was created in order to help ease this transition for folks. Our goals include helping participants develop entrepreneurial and life skills, reduce recidivism, and build creative career pathways. Guided by our instructors, our participants develop concrete skills in DJing, music production, and musical entrepreneurship that they can build upon for personal or professional growth. Exploring music in our group settings also provides space for social, emotional, and personal healing.
In 2020, Give a Beat partnered with Defy Ventures and California Mentoring Partnership to kickstart the program, and February 2021 finally saw the start of our very first program session. Over the course of 12 weeks, our 7 pioneering trainees displayed commitment, creativity, and passion as they learned and practiced various music skills. For their final project, they each performed a solo DJ set, played original music, or presented their professional artist development plan. On May 15, 2021, all 7 members of the cohort were honored at our first graduation ceremony! (Watch our grads speak more about their experiences).
We are immensely proud of each and every graduate and the growth they have demonstrated both creatively and personally. It was incredible to witness their confidence blossom as they developed relationships with instructors and fellow participants. Most of our participants have already performed various DJ gigs in the area. One of our participants, Geri, was previously a fitness instructor, and used lessons from the program to successfully create her own high-tempo workout beats! As she said, “Give a Beat let me know I can accomplish anything I set my mind to as long as I’m focused and determined, whether I know how to do it or not.”
The beat doesn’t stop there. We are continuing to support graduates by collaborating with them on individualized Artist Development Plans, supporting their interests in creating music, and pairing them with professional mentors in the music business.
Impressed and excited by our first cohort, we’ve expanded On a New Track into a year-long program. As another participant, Alejandra, said, “I felt like this is exactly what people should be doing as far as wanting to give back in this way. It’s not just to give back but actually to build capacity in people and go on to become your best self.”
We hope to be joined this year by even more participants, to share the power of music in healing those wronged by the flawed prison and justice system. As always, we also hope to be bolstered by further support from our committed donors and volunteers.
Keep your eyes peeled for our new and upcoming DJs at On a New Track!
