Every single person walking the earth is a music producer. It’s no coincidence that human body parts share the same name as music instruments (organs, eardrums, vocal chords, heartbeat). I believe this is why music saved my life and is a viable method to empower the next generation when used constructively.
At the age of 16 years young, I was tried, convicted, and sentenced as an adult. While in prison, over the years, I lost confidence within myself after learning that the majority of things I thought was true about myself and the world were actually lies. I believe this trauma led me to develop a speech impediment, and I began to stutter extremely badly. One day while walking on the prison recreation yard, I observed some guys rapping, and I stopped and stuttered out “Iiiii rrrrap too.” The guys said, “Well spit a rhyme for us.” I said my rap, and one of the guys started laughing as he said, “I thought we were going to hear a sweet stutter rap!” A light bulb flashed in my head, and I said to myself, “Wow, I don’t stutter when I rap.” From that moment on, I used music to overcome my speech impediment, and I used music to help me relate to the books I read by formulating raps based on the content of the books. I would perform concerts inside of the prison, which increased my confidence and gave me hope. I used music as therapy.
This experience was the driving force that laid the foundation for M.O.T.I.V.E. (Music Opportunities To Incarcerated Voices Everywhere). I knew that music was powerful and knowing how it saved my life, I was constantly searching my internal world for how I could provide others with such a powerful life changing experience. When I was released from prison I continued to use music as therapy and seek ways to make my vision come true. I partnered with one of my first mentors, Dr. Yusuf Bunchy Shakur, and we opened a community center called the “Urban Network.” We held speaking events, sold books and art, opened a recording studio and hosted a weekly “Freestyle Friday” rap battle competition. I would learn how to use computers to produce and engineer music and recorded my first album called “Pain Is Information”.
At this time I was also enrolled in ITT-Technical Institute pursuing an associate degree in computer science. I also taught a workshop for youth ages 8-17 on how to produce music using FL Studio DAW (Digital Audio Workstation). I would constantly wonder how I could record the guys I knew who were still incarcerated in a way that could use music as therapy and had a message.
It wasn’t until around 12 years later that my life experiences would help birth the solution that M.O.T.I.V.E had to offer. By this time, I had received my bachelor’s degree and was working in my field of study, managing system software test engineers. I became an expert in understanding the life cycle of a product. A product would go through multiple versions as long as the product exists. Each version should be an improvement in comparison to the previous version. In order for an improvement to happen, a version has to be tested and all the things that are wrong must be identified and recorded, and reported to the developers. The developers would collect the data of issues and use this data to make improvements for the next version. Boom! A light bulb popped in my head again and my mission was now clear. This was my solution to how I can implement music as therapy. I began to view all generations as a product in a life cycle. Those of previous generations were the “test cases” and their negative results were the data we could use to make improvements in the next product (generation) of the life cycle. The negative results of the previous generation were captured and stored in the prisons. Hence, that data is necessary if we want to make improvements for the current/future generation.
My mission became as clear as the blue skies. M.O.T.I.V.E. would offer music as therapy for those incarcerated, their family members and victims. In order for those that are incarcerated to participate in M.O.T.I.V.E, they have to give me two songs. One about their life story which led them to prison and one about what they are going through while being in prison. I get their songs through phone calls during which I record them singing, rapping, reciting poetry, etc. The prisons have a kiosk machine where song instrumentals are available. Those incarcerated can let me know the instrumental that they have used or I can produce a beat from scratch. I then engineer the music to professional quality and take these songs to high schools, colleges, churches, recreational centers, foster care homes, juvenile detention centers, anywhere that I can get a group of the current generation together and hold a “Critical Listening Workshop”.
During these workshops, we listen to the recorded work of the incarcerated participants and break it down to identify the emotions, feelings, metaphors, direction, intention, etc within their piece. The goal is to provide a way for the youth to learn from others’ mistakes without having to repeat those mistakes. The youth learn about someone else’s emotions and feelings (which they can often relate to personally) to help them better understand their own big emotions. This increases productive, critical decision-making. The youth then gives feedback about the work, the feedback is recorded, and then played back to the incarcerated participant whose work was used. They then have a chance to respond to the youth feedback. Their responses are recorded and taken back to the youth. The youth are also given an opportunity to record a song and share it with the incarcerated participants. This process l creates a powerful call and response, open dialogue and a mentorship environment which everyone involved can use to heal and grow.
The family members of the incarcerated and victims also have a chance to record a song. I coordinate contacting the incarcerated person and playing the song for them. This creates an environment for healing where the song can be used to communicate feelings that are hard to express while being in the presence of the person who caused their hurt. The incarcerated participant will have a chance to respond, and it will be recorded and shared with the family member or victim. Practices such as this, which offer victims the opportunity to express their hurt and the offender’s impact upon their life (otherwise known as restorative justice) have been shown to have critical beneficial impacts upon reducing both the effects of post-traumatic stress (PTSD) and upon the rates of recidivism for those incarcerated.
Through M.O.T.I.V.E, not only will the youth learn from others’ mistakes by building critical thinking skills and empathy, but those who are incarcerated can find hope and purpose by having their voices heard and being given the opportunity to rebuild within the community that they were a part of tearing down. As we build out and expand the program, the aim is to provide multiple workshops with the goal of using the previous generation’s issues/failures to improve the current and next generation and create a space for healing. As I think back about my own journey as a young person, through incarceration and now as a member of my community who knows my own life could have had a different trajectory given the right love and opportunity, I am firmly committed to helping others learn, heal and grow through the power of music and connection.
. You can help make a change for the future! Reach out to learn more about how you or your organization can partner through mentorship programs, internships and employment opportunities, educational workshops, volunteering, collaborations, making connections, donations, and more! We are particularly looking for anyone with skills at producing, engineering, social media management, videography, music therapy, and life coaching. But if that’s not you, no worries! We have lots of ways to engage. Just reach out and we’re happy to connect! Let’s save lives!
Website: https://www.motive-musictherapy.org
Instagram:
@motive.musictherapy22
@dwallscantalk
@turkeyheavenft
While M.O.T.I.V.E is my passion, my life goal is to use all my talents to serve others and save lives. I am the co-producer of the Heart2Heart relationship talk show. A show driven by audience questions where we unpack the most important thing that is the fabric of all that we encounter… relationships. I am the producer of the podcast “Just Kickin it” where the host interviews martial arts Grand Masters of Michigan about the role of martial arts in changing their lives. I am an artist (DWallsCanTalk), producer, engineer and the CEO at Starvin Mind Records which focuses on producing music that is constructive. I am also the owner of a food truck called “Turkey Heaven” which serves freshly prepared turkey products.
