How did you get involved with ZUMIX?
It’s very hazy, honestly! I think I was 12. I used to go to the McKay School, and Omar [Sosa] was doing guitar sessions there. I think we took a field trip to the Firehouse, because it’s right around the corner.
My first program at ZUMIX was Rock Ed, where you get to form a band with other students. I did three programs at once that first semester! I also took live sound and creative filmmaking. A year or so later, COVID hit, so everything went online. I took piano lessons online, and I was in Voces briefly, but I was super insecure about my singing, so I dropped out.
When did you find your way back?
I came back to ZUMIX in the summer of 2023. I wanted to do something fun, and I would see the social media posts from ZUMIX and think, I want to be in those photos! I thought: I have nothing to lose. Let’s just do it.
When I came back, I felt kind of shy. But I remembered Kadahj [Bennett] and Rene [Dongo] from the Eastie Poets program at Eastie High. I finally took a full semester of Voces with Brandon [Allen], and I thought it was pretty fun.
I signed up for the fall semester, and Brandon asked me about being a co-facilitator. But I didn’t answer him! And then I came to orientation, and he kind of talked me into it, and I said yes. So I started again and I haven’t stopped!
What do you love about Voces?
There’s this sense of family within Voces, and all these familiar faces. Etienne, Layla, and Emmett are some of the first kids I met when I started co-facilitating. I remember giving a speech at the end of that first semester, and getting teary, and telling them they were all my favorite students. And they’ve stayed!
I have a friendship with all the Voces crew, but it’s also a mentorship kind of thing. If they need advice, they come to me. They mention music stuff to me, too, and I can talk to Brandon about it, but I also talk to them about how to speak up for themselves. It’s a mentorship and a friendship – it’s been like that for almost two years.
You’re doing other programs at ZUMIX too, right?
Yes! I’m taking advantage of all the other programs before it’s my time to leave. I’ve done Fix-it, I’ve done radio (see below), I’ve done Street Program and written some original songs and poems. I was on the ZUMIX Teen Council for a while; I’m not on it any more, but I’m still proud of what they’re doing.
Do you have a favorite memory of Walk for Music?
I like how close-knit it is. It’s a bunch of strangers, walking around together, and feeling the heat! You’re all sweating, but you hear music, and somebody’s there with water. I brought my entire family last year, and we got out in front of the crew so we could hand out water to people.
Everybody was so close! We had live music, and we had a dance party at the end of the Greenway. It felt oddly calm for such a big event. I think it’s worth it to show up even if you’re not necessarily donating. It is a very good time. It’s important because it brings everybody together.
Why do you think Walk for Music is important?
I think it’s important to support ZUMIX. I mean, music is cool. But the point is that youth have a space where you can grab a ukulele and just play. It’s calming, and it just feels like a safe space for young people to bond with staff, bond with each other, and do creative things together.
You get these crazy shenanigans, but you also make core memories that you don’t forget. The staff here also really care about the students. It’s creativity, and it’s a safe space. Plus you get to play around with a soldering iron! And play around with a radio station, and a piano, and a mic!
Why do you Walk for Music?
I walk for music because everyone deserves a safe, creative space to go to.
Em Ayala is a senior at East Boston High School and a ZUMIX participant and co-facilitator. Donate to her Walk for Music page here!