Together We Go Far
OLC Music Labs has a story. We have seen a community, a network of people from around the Bay Area who have contributed to this dream becoming a reality. As we reflect on the story, we are struck by the sheer number of vastly different people who have played a role.
James, who will be the key leader for OLC Music Labs, has had the idea of utilizing music to mentor young people for a few years since he himself was a teenager spending time at a music studio. Jamar, who will assist James, has been learning how to make beats and virtually becoming the teacher’s assistant at multiple youth music classes in East Oakland.
The owner of our building on Fairfax decided to drastically lower the rent so that he could have a stable tenant doing good work in the neighborhood. An Oakland Leadership Center supporter donated extra funds to get us started. Jamar, James and Edward started cleaning the storefront space. Jon volunteered to do some painting. Howard and Steve brought us a crew of middle school students from Brentwood who cleaned, did paint prep, installed a new toilet and left cleaning and paint supplies with us. Jen at Project Peace reached out to her community to give us some helping hands, and John (different John) from Branagh Inc., a construction company, came to give us some free advice, blueprints and a cost analysis. But that week John emailed us and offered his company’s labor and supplies at no cost to completely build our recording booth and control room inside the storefront.
Soon Joe from Branagh Inc. was supervising the project, and a frame, electrical upgrades, walls, soundproof glass, outlets, fans and counters sprung into existence. Kevin donated a computer monitor. Dick donated another, leaving it at Creekside Community Church for Rhonda to bring to us. Robert donated some high quality Sony headphones. Michael generously donated a large (and we mean large) amount of quality recording equipment, and James, Jamar and myself spent a Saturday in the South Bay loading equipment into a moving truck. Keith and Steve volunteered their music and production expertise to help us sort through our supplies and form a plan. Matt and Chris have offered to finish the painting, and we talked to Chris about how to put a film on the windows so that you can’t see inside. The other day at work, at a construction site, co-workers standing right next to Chris had to yell at him to join their conversation because Chris was staring intently at a man installing film onto windows, watching his technique. (For some reason this is one of my favorite parts of the whole story.)
Dreams become reality when we pitch in together, each doing our part in the story. We are privileged to be a part of what God is doing in our neighborhood, and we are privileged to know so many people who want to jump into it with us.
Grace and peace,
Nate Millheim for Oakland Leadership Center
