TROY, N.Y. (NEWS10)– Music, community, and giving kids a positive outlet—that’s what’s happening in Troy this summer. The Barker Park Kids Series is a free summer concert that happens every Thursday where kids don’t just listen to the music, but they interact with it as well.
Organizers said giving kids opportunities like this can be one way to keep them away from negative influences.
“Giving students alternatives to, you know, explore new avenues of interest, things they might be interested in instead of, you know, making choices that might lead to negative things later on. So we really try to make sure that we can supply as many of those opportunities for students as we can,” said Jessica Bowen, Director of Education and Outreach at the Troy Savings Bank Music Hall.
Thursday’s event showcased jazz music by welcoming Ragtime Wind Jammers. The band was able to introduce their music to the kids and how it can make them feel.
Children, parents, and even grandparents were all grooving together to the rhythm of jazz. The Ragtime Wind Jammer also took in some volunteers to show them what the sounds of music looked like.
Dave Lambert a musician and a member from the band showed Leona Dziamba, a kid volunteer, what a sound wave looks like as the base player was playing different notes.
Deborah Dziamba, Leona’s grandmother believes having free, accessible events to the public can be crucial to neighborhoods like this.
“It’s very, very necessary. You know, a lot of people, they can’t afford to do a lot. So this is very important for our community,” said Dziamba.
Research from the “Journal of Youth and Adolescence” through the National Library of Medicine, says that “Arts and cultural engagement is a potential strategy for reducing or preventing reportedly antisocial or criminalized behaviors in adolescence.”
At a time when youth violence is a growing concern, attendees at the event believe activities like this can make a difference in how they grow up.
“Anything that involves kids and their creativity, whether it’s reading or writing or music or art, anything that involves their creative powers, their thinking will be good for them and will be good for their interactions with other kids,” said Lambert.
This series will wrap up next week with Jordan Taylor Hill and it will come back next summer during the months of July and August.
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