New Music Program for At-Risk Livermore Youth

Without music, Chris Fleckner and Kevin Lewis would be lost. Now, they are working together to use music to help others find themselves.

Fleckner and Lewis have created Music Pathways, a new program that provides at-risk Livermore youth a complete musical experience -- including use of an instrument, private instruction, group practice, and a live performance -- at no cost. The program is offered through ABC Music in downtown Livermore, where Fleckner serves as manager, and in partnership with the Children's Music Arts Foundation and East Bay Community Services. The program is open to youths ages 14 through 18. Participants will receive weekly private lessons at ABC Music from April through October. In November the participants will perform live at Livermore's Bothwell Arts Center.

Fleckner and Lewis feel extremely fortunate to have had the chance, in their youth, to experience the transformative power of music. Through Music Pathways they hope to extend this opportunity to Livermore kids who might not otherwise get the chance.

Fleckner grew up in Livermore and attended local schools. By the time he reached high school, Fleckner didn't fit in. "I was terrible at sports, and miserable at the STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) subjects. Although I had supportive parents and a stable home, I was a typical apathetic suburban youth." His grades were poor and he skipped school regularly. " Fleckner drifted away from his school work, and towards his first love: Playing guitar. He joined a band, his band entered a local Battle of the Bands competition, and his life changed.

"Playing in a band tied me into other people, and taught me teamwork and self-discipline.  Music got me engaged and gave me a reason to go to school. It gave me a goal and a compass, and showed me how hard work pays off and can positively impact your life."

Eventually, Fleckner came back to his books, finished high school, and earned a BA. Today, while running ABC Music, he is working towards a Masters degree in Public Administration. "I've had to work very really for everything I've achieved. That's one of the main lessons we hope to teach through Music Pathways - that hard work really pays off."

Lewis grew up in Monrovia, in southern California, in a household that he describes as "broken." Lewis's father was an abusive alcoholic who was constantly getting into trouble. One evening, when Lewis was eight, his father was thrown out of a bar -- literally -- and landed in an alleyway next to a Ludwig drum set. Lewis's father brought the drum set home for Lewis to play. "That was the only good thing my dad ever did for me," Kevin says.

Under the tutelage of his musically inclined older brother, Lewis blossomed into an accomplished drummer. His mother, who played the trombone and sang opera, taught him the nuances of listening to music. Lewis poured himself into music, and it gave him an outlet to escape the difficult circumstances that surrounded him. "There was constant fighting in the house. When my dad would start up, I would play that Ludwig drum set until my hands ached, remembering everything my brother and mother told me to do."

Lewis constantly thinks back to those dark days. "If not for my mother, my brother, and my drums, my life would have turned out very differently."

Lewis, who works for the City of Livermore's water department, has been informally helping out aspiring local drummers for years. "Kevin has given away countless drum sticks and drum heads and constant tuneups," according to Fleckner. Lewis has even given away four complete drum sets to kids who couldn't afford them. His only stipulation:  When the recipient outgrows the drums, Lewis wants them back.... in exchange for $200 cash that he gives with no strings attached.

When Lewis and Fleckner came up with the idea to take Lewis's largesse to the next level, they reached out to two other long-time Livermore community activists, Aaron Ortiz and David Jonas, and Music Pathways was born. Ortiz is CEO of East Bay Community Services, one of the program's sponsors. Jonas is a local entrepreneur who is involved with a variety of community initiatives. The group attracted 8 participants for the inaugural Music Pathways program -- six boys and two girls -- and hopes to make Music Pathways an ongoing community offering.

Says Lewis: "In my heart, I want to give, and I don't want anything back. I have been given so many opportunities during my life. Why shouldn't I pass them along to others?"

For more information or to support Music Pathways, visit www.music-pathways.org.