CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Flourish Foundation and AmeriHealth have teamed up to offer free music and mental resilience classes to kids. According to Comforting Music Therapy Statistics in 2022, 86% of people who have used music therapy say it helped them develop social interaction and skills.
Now Charlotte-area organizations are working to combat violence by getting kids to open up and manage their emotions.
"You can put your feeling into your music, it’s actually a common way to soothe yourself," Madison Spates, one of the kids in the class, said.
Spates said the music takes her on a self journey and allows her to release her inner DJ.
"This particular group of kids in the class are transitioning from middle to high school or elementary to middle school," Chanda Spates, the CEO of Flourish Foundation, said. "The transition can be very challenging so we are giving them a tool to help navigate, but we want to make sure it was something that was engaging for kids."
Spates said students started off very quiet, but they were later bobbing their heads and interacting with different beats.
The organizations say mixing a variety of tracks can create different moods, and they’re hoping to teach kids how to relieve stress and tension through each beat.
"One of the beautiful things about community is music... music gathers people and it’s a universal language," A. Maurice Harvey, a Charlotte-based therapist, said. "A lot of teens are struggling with mental health issues and this program is designed to attach the collectivism of music along with what's going on in mental health."
Due to high demand they're expanding their space, allowing even more kids to learn the power of music, allowing teenagers like Spates to be inspired and uplifted.
"This is a skill set that keeps on going," Spates said.
Those looking to support the effort can do so online.
Contact Tradesha Woodard at twoodard1@wcnc.com and follow her on Facebook, X and Instagram.