Donda’s House Reaches Youth with Lyrics
Chicagoland youth who are interested in a career as a recording artist should contact Donda’s House, Inc. which is accepting applications for its spring class sessions.
Donda’s House, Inc. is a 501 (c)(3) nonprofit organization that provides a safe haven for teenagers and young in adults in Chicago to have a safe space to express themselves creatively through their music.
The name for the organization was inspired by the late Dr. Donda West, the mother of Grammy award winning hip-hop artist Kanye West. The organization officially launched in August 2013. Donda’s House, Inc. partners with the ARK at St. Sabina and holds its activities at their location, 7800 S. Racine.
“Our goal was to create something to get young people off the street; most of our programs happen on the evenings and the weekends,” said Donnie Smith, Executive Director of Donda’s House. “A lot of times people assume when people turn 18-years-old they’re grown and they don’t need support and they don’t need help. What we’ve found is that they need a lot of support and a lot of help.”
Kanye West and Chicago based rapper Che "Rhymefest” Smith are two members of the five member board of directors. Kanye West supports the organization by making his design available. In December, as an incentive to complete the program, West provided one backstage pass and a concert ticket to his Yeezus concert.
Rhymefest actively works with Donda’s House day-to-day operations as well as on its organizational direction.
“As the Donda’s House family expands, our communities will heal,” said Smith, Creative Director and a creative writing instructor with the organization.
Donda’s House signature program is Got Bars. Got Bars involves music writing, recording and performing for participants. Interested individuals whose ages range from 15 to 24-years-old are encouraged to apply. Participants are selected through an application and audition process. All applications for this spring’s session are due by Friday, February 28.
Got Bars meets several mandatory days throughout the week. Participants take three classes per week: creative writing, studio recording, and health and wellness.
Last session, upon completion of the first Got Bars class, each participant completed an original song. All the songs were then compiled for a mixtape which was released on SoundCloud.
Former Got Bars participants reached out to the Chicago Citizen Newspaper to share their experiences with Donda’s House, Inc.
“From the beginning, I knew that Donda’s House would be a great organization even if I wasn’t able to be selected for the cohort, I still wanted to get involved,” said Kelsey Riley, executive assistant for Donda’s House who was in the Got Bars program as a singer. “It’s definitely grown a lot and now that we’re seen as a community grassroots organization and reached a lot of people through our volunteer efforts and our committees and fund raising and programing. I’m excited to see where we are going to go once the spring program starts.”
Riley earned her executive assistant position by volunteering with Donda’s House, Inc. and creating relationships with the staff.
“The main focus is to have fun and to build up creativity,” explained Quince Bibbs , who also works with Donda’s House, Inc. “Got Bars is a developmental program. It helps you with your writing skills and schemes and literary techniques. It helps with your speaking skills and presenting yourself in public. It promotes creativity in everyone involved.”
For more information visit http://dondashouseinc.org/board-of-directors/.
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