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Camp Holton

On May 8th, Create Now! received this email from Maria Vicente: "Hello, I was recently promoted to director at Camp Karl Holton. As a supervisor years ago at Camp Fred Miller, I recall many outings and free tickets you provided to the kids there. I seem to recall a drum session treat for the boys. Any information you have would be greatly appreciated. Thank you so much!"

What Ms. Vicente was referring to was the concert that Create Now! presented at Camp Miller in Malibu several years ago. Our board member Mark Schulman is a world-class Drummer and cancer survivor. Mark Schulman is currently on one of the most successful tours in Europe with Pink. He has toured and recorded with Stevie Nicks, Sheryl Crow, Velvet Revolver, Cher, Foreigner, Billy Idol, Simple Minds, the Pointer Sisters and Dave Koz. Mark's live credits also include Al Green, Destiny's Child, Melissa Etheridge and the O'Jays. In addition, he has contributed to the soundtracks of films, TV shows and commercials, such as Mattel, Beverly Hills Cop III, Speed and The Sopranos.

Mark is a trained audio engineer and an active educator, performing drum seminars all over the world and teaching at the Los Angeles Music Academy. As a classically trained Cellist, Mark performed with the L.A. Junior Philharmonic Orchestra when he was a child. He is currently producing the music of several young artists.

As a cancer survivor, Mark presents his internationally-acclaimed seminar Make it All Happen! This inspirational and motivational program teaches children and youth how to eliminate barriers and actualize goals. He shares his unique experiences with students in middle-school, high school and colleges around the world. As a Create Now! mentor, Mark has reached thousands of incarcerated youth and helped them to realize their dreams.

We arranged for Mark to perform at Camp Karl Holton on August 19th.  This detention camp, located in the town of San Fernando, is where approximately 100 teenage boys are incarcerated for a variety of crimes. The kids didn't know what they were in for when they were brought out to the track field that Saturday afternoon. They typically start out being very quiet and feeling depressed by their circumstances. But these boys' attitudes quickly changed when Mark spoke to them.

He began with a drum solo, which really got their attention. Mark is considered one of the top Drummers in the world and after hearing him perform, it is obvious how he earned his reputation. Then he shared some of his experiences as a musician and a cancer survivor. The kids were riveted to every word that he said. Mark taught them about the importance of making wise choices. He encouraged the boys to write down their goals for when they would be released back to the streets. Mark said later, "It's so amazing to see the kids' eyes light up when I drum and they understand the concepts about changing their attitudes and their lives."

Mark brought additional support that day. His manager Stacey Castro spoke to the youth about the female perspective, sharing how their mothers, sisters, girlfriends and daughters felt about having these boys incarcerated. She brought two of her other clients along.

David Thomas is a 19 year-old actor from South Central who recently co-starred in Gridiron Gang and The Fast and the Furious: Tokyo Drift. David spoke from his heart about his growth and transformation as an actor and he touched many of these kids on a very deep level.

The boys were absolutely thrilled by the presence of Killah Priest of Wu Tang Clan - one of the top rap groups in the world. He blew the kids away with a song. Killah Priest spoke about his own background. He invited the youth in the audience to come up to the mic to "freestyle" - make up a rap song on the spot. The rules were that they couldn't sing about gangs, use any profanity nor denigrate women.

The boys hesitated at first, but once one teenager got the courage to take up the challenge, the other kids quickly lined up for their chance to perform. And they were amazing! They sang about their problems and their joys. One youth "spit" (sang) about every teacher and staff at the detention camp, which had all the other youth laughing hysterically. It was a great release for their pent-up energy, and a positive channel for their expression. The staff and boys bonded as they shared this special event.

The fun didn't end there. Mark invited the boys to try out his drum set. Eight of them lined up for the opportunity, and they were fantastic! A couple of the boys were truly talented and could be professional drummers with a little help. Mark offered to mentor them when he returns in December from his current tour with Pink. He also promised the kids that if any of them wanted to record their music, they would be welcome to do so at his recording studio.

Stacey Castro volunteered to help some of these talented youth when they're released from the detention camp. And Create Now! Executive Director Jill Gurr made sure that all the boys had the office phone number and address, so they can contact our organization for additional support when they're ready.

Mark said, "I feel like if I can really sense a response from 10% of the kids, that I am accomplishing what I came to do. This event was particularly magical in that I felt changes in most of the boys. I am so grateful to be a part of influencing even one kid's life. This influence is indelible and will change the entire world forever."

By the end of the program, all the boys were uplifted and cheering. We know that at least one young man was profoundly changed that day. Create Now! received a long letter from Demond: "I'd like to thank you for coming to Camp Karl Holton... You guys had changed how I think about myself. I want to change my life around. Like Mark said, 'See yourself doing it and achieving it.' Now I see myself really becoming something in life."

While Demond was "rocking the microphone" (performing his rap songs) one of the guards told Create Now! board member Lisa Knight that he was shocked to see him there. He said that Demond was normally very shy and withdrawn, yet there he was confidently prancing around the audience, singing his song like a real pro. Afterwards, many of the other boys pumped his ego up even more by giving him many compliments. The self-esteem that Demond got from this experience will build and endure, as will the support that Create Now! gives him and all the other troubled youth that we serve.

We're currently putting together the Create Now! Recording Studio, so that these kids can put their energy into creating music instead of problems. We hope that you'll donate funds or equipment to help us reach these youngsters, so they can create now.