Uploaded April 2016 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
On Friday February 12th, 2016 I went to the Tumaini Innovation Center with medical students and team members from pharmacy at Purdue. This is a safe-haven for street youth, and has a mission of giving children and adolescents marketable skills in sustainable farming. I have been familiar with Tumaini as it is one of the organizations supported by the Annual IU Hunger Banquet hosted by the Global Health Student Interest Group. I try to take my guitar with me whenever I travel, but never have I found my guitar to be such a source of joy. Instantly a crowd of children gathered around, and two of the older boys, Nyagah and Joseph, ran and grabbed two guitars donated previously to the center. The guitars were dusty, old, and missing strings. Exactly like the first guitar I ever played 17 years ago at summer camp. I saw in them the same excitement I experienced that day. I first taught some percussive technique, showing how to hit the guitar in different locations with your fingers and palms to create unique sounds. Nyagah and Joseph were naturals. I showed them some basic chords and strumming techniques and soon we were jamming like bandmates. Maria observantly called us “Guys in Red” (we were all wearing red shirts). Hard to believe that a couple weeks ago I was raising money for these kids on stage with my guitar in Indianapolis. Full circle. Before I left I played football with the local children as the sun set. They were much better than me, even the ones playing with flip flops or barefoot.
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On Friday February 12th, 2016 I went to the Tumaini Innovation Center with medical students and team members from pharmacy at Purdue. This is a safe-haven for street youth, and has a mission of giving children and adolescents marketable skills in sustainable farming. I have been familiar with Tumaini as it is one of the organizations supported by the Annual IU Hunger Banquet hosted by the Global Health Student Interest Group. I try to take my guitar with me whenever I travel, but never have I found my guitar to be such a source of joy. Instantly a crowd of children gathered around, and two of the older boys, Nyagah and Joseph, ran and grabbed two guitars donated previously to the center. The guitars were dusty, old, and missing strings. Exactly like the first guitar I ever played 17 years ago at summer camp. I saw in them the same excitement I experienced that day. I first taught some percussive technique, showing how to hit the guitar in different locations with your fingers and palms to create unique sounds. Nyagah and Joseph were naturals. I showed them some basic chords and strumming techniques and soon we were jamming like bandmates. Maria observantly called us “Guys in Red” (we were all wearing red shirts). Hard to believe that a couple weeks ago I was raising money for these kids on stage with my guitar in Indianapolis. Full circle. Before I left I played football with the local children as the sun set. They were much better than me, even the ones playing with flip flops or barefoot.
adamcantormusic.com
facebook.com/adamcantormusic
instagram: @adamcantormusic
