“
I volunteer as a guitar teacher and a band coach at the Willie Mae Rock Camp for Girls. It’s totally punk. Many of the girls have no prior musical experience — and that’s the point: We present them with a challenge and encourage them to grow.
I was coaching a band of 8-year-olds. On the day of the concert, the lead singer was suddenly overcome by stage fright. “I don’t want to do this anymore,” she whispered. I told her that she would be amazing and that her bandmates needed her right now. About a minute before the performance, I finally asked, “What would make you feel safe right now?” She responded, “If you held my hand.” I stood in the wings with my arm outstretched, the singer holding on.
When it was time for the chorus, she chimed in, at first shyly, then louder. By the end of the chorus, she had let go of my hand. She ran out to the center of the stage, and an enormous cheer swept through the crowd. Hundreds of hands clapped to the beat. Fists were raised. Eyes teared up. A huge smile broke out on the singer’s face. She had grasped what it is to feel powerful.
”— Amy Klein in New York Times‘ “The Educational Experiences That Change a Life”
