By Spencer Cox, Contributing Writer
Music resonates through the halls of a Broken Arrow public school, where Options Academy’s security officer, Derreck Younger — a passionate Pink Floyd fan — shares his love of music with the students.
Younger, who has been a performer for most of his life, began singing at Church On The Move in 2016 and picked up his first guitar 2 years later.
“I had a very profound experience with music. It’s how I process my emotions, complex thoughts and feelings, whether happy or sad,” he says.
“I wanted to give that experience to someone else. And these kids are at a critical place where they may not know how to properly process their emotions. I hope this helps them.”
“I also had awful and terrible stage fright and anxiety. One day, I just said, ‘That’s okay,’ and it’s okay to have that. That’s what I teach these kids: it’s okay to always have that energy with you, because it drives you to be a better performer,” Younger explains.
Younger started the class 3 years ago with a single guitar and a handful of curious students to help boost engagement among Options students and sow the seeds of creativity.
“We actually started in a janitor’s closet. We cleared it out and had a few guitars and an electric drum kit,” Younger said with a smile.
A Permanent Spot
After those humble beginnings, the class was given its own space in the former locker room the school being used for storage. School maintenance cleared the room out over summer break so the class could have space to develop.
“It was so cool coming back after break and being able to set up all of our instruments and actually have a permanent spot,” younger says.
With growing interest in the class, piano and vocals were added. A teacher contributed a few items to our growing collection, then Younger’s class received a generous donation of guitars.
“We even secured a grant specifically for a new acoustic guitar,” Younger revealed, underscoring their proactive efforts.
More than $200 was donated through the Donors Choose organization for the grant to purchase a Yamaha acoustic guitar.
Younger emphasizes the invaluable nature of the class for students. Research shows that students who learn to play a musical instrument see improvement in cognitive abilities, he says.
His goal is to improve students’ focus in the classroom through this initiative. He underscores the importance of donations, noting that many students cannot afford private lessons or possess their own instruments.
The class is preparing to showcase their talents at the upcoming Options Academy spring graduation ceremony, where they will perform Pink Floyd’s “Learning to Fly.” Younger remains steadfast in his commitment to nurturing the next generation of musicians and fostering a love for music that transcends boundaries.
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