Daily Item, The (Lynn, MA)
Author: ROBIN KAMINSKI; THE DAILY ITEM
Singer/songwriter Kelly Riley wants to extend her musical talents to kids in Lynn who are eager to learn how to make music. Having recently received an alumni grant from Berklee College of Music in Boston for $5,000, Riley, a Lynn resident, is ready to teach a handful of kids how to hone their own musical abilities. However, due to the limited funds, Riley said she is going to select the dozen or so kids by holding an essay contest. "I thought it would be a good idea to have a contest for kids to understand a little more about the Declaration of Human Rights because it has everything to do with music, creativity and the freedom of expression," she said. "Just a little paragraph or two about why they think it's important."
Riley said she got the idea for the essay topic from a volunteer gig a few years back, called Youths For Human Rights International in Boston. The group is an independent non-profit corporation that aims to educate young people on
their human rights."The more kids understand their human rights, the more they will understand people," she said. "I also plan to give each of the kids a booklet on all of the 30 human rights, a recorder, and voice once a week for eight weeks for school-aged kids who are seven to 17 years old. "I'm also looking for donations of small electric key boards and guitars," she said. "For those kids that can't get instruments, I'll give them voice lessons instead."
As a child, Riley said she picked up her older brother's guitar and quickly learned how to play the instrument, and is excited to help other children realize their own talents.
"The alumni grant is all about setting examples and doing good things," she said. "I thought it would be a good idea to teach a few underprivileged kids in the city."
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