Art and music on tour

Kids come together, so they can take it on the road.

This summer the 2008 Element Youth Movement Co-op Tour features “Scratched,” the Laguna Beach Boys & Girls Club’s art show of “repurposed” art, along with performances by the Collective Sound Summer Music Academy.

Last Tuesday, the Boys & Girls Club’s main branch hosted the first stop on the four-date tour, displaying more than 300 CDs hand painted by children from five individual clubs located across California.

The worthless, scratched CDs were donated by parents and staff, and then transformed into works of art by the students.

The “repurposed art” project was conceived by Emily Murray, the club’s art director, who designed the show to teach children how to take worthless objects and give them a new purpose.

Murray also believes the collaboration of the clubs provided a unique opportunity for children to be exposed to the diversity of art by young artists.

“The show transcends the walls of the individual clubs and brings together children that are creatively like-minded, which encourages and supports them in the continuation of developing their skills,” Murray said.

Zac Smith, executive director of the nonprofit organization the Collective Sound Summer Music Academy, also believes in the creative process of collaboration.

“The educational system today promotes individual creativity, but our program differs because we teach creative collaboration at a very young age,” Smith said.

Every summer, teenagers come from all over the world to participate in the Collective Sound workshops.

Based out of Cal State Chico, the academy uses volunteer music professors and professional musicians to teach creative expression through the vehicles of rock, electronic and popular music.

The curriculum breaks down into three weekly segments: composing and writing an original song; recording the song in a studio and filming a music video; and finally performing with a band in front of live audiences.

Students also learn how to communicate in a collaborative setting, create electronic press kits and gain experience with electronic drum machines and various music computer programs.

“I had to wait until I got to college to learn about the music industry, and I feel that children should be exposed to it at a much younger age,” Smith said.

As visitors viewed the colorful discs of “Scratched” that adorned the chain link fence surrounding the black-top playground, they also got the opportunity to listen to the acoustical sets of the five bands attending the academy this summer.

One of the bands that performed was Nyegaard, named after the band’s 15-year-old guitar player, Axel, who is also from Denmark.

“Only time will show who I’ll become, but I think it is so cool to go on tour,” Axel said.

Although the band’s remaining members agree that life on the road is fun, drummer Dylan Tolletson, 15, has already learned that touring also has its hardships.

“Our bus is cramped, but other than that it’s pretty sick,” Tolletson said.

After Laguna Beach, the youth tour played that same night for a second show on the Family Fun Stage at the Orange County Fair. The bands opened for professional musical groups and instead of their acoustic numbers, they performed two electric songs each. The next stop was the Venice Beach Boys & Girls Club on July 23, Santa Cruz Beach Boardwalk Wharf on July 24, and the tour will culminate today at San Francisco’s Union Square.

According to Smith, the overall objective of the tour is to “create awareness as it relates to youth health, cultural social and environmental issues.”

“I was really happy to partner with the Boys & Girls Club. The art creates a good synergy to our tour,” Smith said.

For more information, visit www.thecollectivesound.org.