Embrace music, not crime

Legendary musician Roy Cape yesterday urged a group of east Port of Spain youths to embrace music as a way to combat crime and delinquency.

He was addressing graduates of the Roy Cape Right Tunes Music Programme at the Office of Law Enforcement Policy Building, London Street, Port of Spain.

The ground-breaking initiative, which emerged out of the Laventille Nights: Distinguished Speaker Series, two years ago, seeks to offer youths in at-risk communities, an alternative to crime and violence.

Cape, who had attended a session of the series at the St Barb’s Basketball Court on April 30, 2016, at which Prime Minister Dr Keith Rowley was the guest speaker, later volunteered his time and talent to help bring about change in depressed communities.

A music programme, led by Cape, was subsequently rolled out as a pilot project in the communities of Beetham and Morvant.

Partners in the project include the WAND Foundation and the Inter-Agency Task Force.

Yesterday, Cape said he was very pleased with the performance of the young people who participated in the Right Tunes Music Programme.

“I am very impressed with the children and their passes in the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music of London,” he told the audience.

“From all reports, it’s clear that these student musicians have grasped the opportunities with both hands and are progressing at what can only be described as a very impressive rate.”

He went on: “In fact, the record speaks for themselves. Out of the 27 students that did the examination, 23 of them were successful. I think this is very commendable.”

Sunday Newsday learnt that of the 23 students, three got distinctions while ten received merits. The other ten participants got passing grades.

Cape said the hard work had started to pay off.

“From the launch, we could see the flowers starting to bloom. Children you are the flower of Trinidad and Tobago and we all need you all to change the mindset that our young people have in the communities.”

He urged the graduates to consider music as an option for a career..

“You can have a future with music. If you are going to school, I recommend to you all to try to get your degree if you can. Music in a small country is not as lucrative as if you are in a metropolitan country.”

Referring to the crime situation, Cape said: “We are in troubled times and you are the ones that are going to change this country around and turn it to what we knew it to be.”

Parliamentary secretary, Ministry of National Security, Glenda Jennings-Smith; deputy permanent secretary Florette Clarke and WAND representative Wendy Voss also spoke.