Students graduate from music-oriented programme

by Marlon Madden

Parents are being urged to help mold their children into what they want to become instead of dictating to them what they should be.
This advice has come from this year’s graduate and valedictorian of the first cohort of the Make Music Make a Difference (3MD) programme, Ayanna Goodman.

Goodman was one of 20 students who took part in the two-year behaviour change intervention programme, which began in July 2018 as a pilot project by the Partners That Care International Barbados (PTCI) in collaboration with Notes of Praise.

The programme was extended into 2021 due to the pandemic last year, which resulted in the cancellation of several classes because of periods of national lockdowns.

The 3MD graduation and award ceremony was recently held at the Hilton Resort under the theme Masterpiece in the Making. Fifteen of the 20 students graduated.

Student of the year and valedictorian went to Ayanna Goodman who said during the programme she learned how to play several musical instruments and was able to develop several soft skills.

“It taught me to be more confident while speaking in front of a crowd and interacting with others. I also learnt what it meant to be a team player and how to be a team player,” said Goodman, who added that her journey had been a “very exciting and enjoyable one.”

During her address, Goodman had a message for the parents.

“Dear parents, I beg you, do not dictate the journey or what your child should do in life. Do not mold them into what you think they should be. Guide them but give them options, let them find out what they want to do in life and give them your biggest support because it will mean a lot to them and they will remember it,” she said.

She encouraged her fellow graduands never to give up, but “keep on pushing for what you want in life because it will not come overnight. Things take time”.

“Even though you might feel like quitting at some point, you mustn’t because it will all be worth it. Don’t be afraid to share your ideas with other people because you won’t know who will like them or there might be opportunities you might miss. It is up to you to decide your outcome because no one can decide it for you, keep chasing your dream, but remember it will not come easy,” she said.

Director of PTCI Clarine Cave said the 3MD programme, through effective strategies, is aimed at helping to improve quality of life for school children ages 13 to 16 who are considered vulnerable to challenges and behaviours that would impede their learning and social development.

It primarily uses music as a novel approach to effect behaviour change and seeks to bridge any existing gaps between the home and what is done by guidance counsellors within the schools. Cave said during the programme, the students completed several units of the Caribbean Vocational Qualification (CVQ) in music performance and sharpen their life skills.

During the graduation ceremony, which was accentuated with touching performances from the students, some parents shared their experience of having their children enrolled in the behaviour change intervention programme, saying they were happy and felt proud their children were able to “grow”.

Meanwhile, the proud tutors encouraged the students to build on what they have accomplished in the programme. They said they were happy with the transformation of the students, while describing their progress as “a win” as they urged the students to stay positive and “keep pushing”.

In his keynote address, singer and songwriter Pastor John Yarde told the students not to be discouraged whenever they are not given a chance to do what they want or love.

Adding that it was okay not to be in the spotlight, he challenged the students to focus on the person they intended to become. “Often times we put too much value on the things we do but never on ‘who must I become, what must I do to become the person that must be excellent, what must I do to become the person that can travel and sing, what must I do to become the person that . . . and you fill in the blank,” said Yarde.

“It is very easy for us, and many of us are guilty of it even as adults, to associate value with the thing or the destination, that we ignore the process. Ignoring the process will always undermine, will always compromise, will always mess you up against you getting where you want to be,” he said.

Reminding the students that the possibilities they face were “limitless”, Yarde urged the students not to become complacent, but to stay focused and continuously improve their soft skills.