City of Cambridge Participatory Budgeting

Committee: Parks, Recreation & Education

Cost: $150,000

Location: Frisoli, Gately, & Russell Youth Centers

Short Description: Install music studios and equipment at the Frisoli, Gately, and Russell Youth Centers to inspire creativity, enable pre-teens and teens to express their skills and passions, and provide youth with another recreational outlet.

Long Description: There is an immense need for music studios at the City’s youth centers since several youth have an interest in music and the production of music. Youth are very interactive with aspects of music such as songwriting, autotune, voiceover, and forming beats with drums. Therefore, in order to help youth achieve their goal, they need access to sufficient music studios and equipment. The Frisoli, Gately, and Russell Youth Centers each have space to accommodate this proposal.

Several of the pre-teens and teens would greatly benefit from this project because of their interest in expressing oneself through the art of music. Staff are very involved in music workshops and would be willing to run the music studios at each youth center. Having a music studio in each youth center will have great impact, because it creates more diversity in the types of activities offered. Youth will be able to expand their skills in music and compose music for small performances, which will bring the community together more often. Music studios give youth the opportunity to practice a specific instrument and influence them to take music classes in the future. Also, equipment is expensive for individuals to purchase on their own to create music.

Music equipment is estimated to cost $15,000 per studio. An additional $35,000 per youth center has been budgeted to cover any construction that might be necessary to soundproof or alter a space to provide an adequate music studio.