Gibson Kids Rock: Motivating Students One Song at a Time

A cheering crowd, an introduction from an MTV personality, a performance on a respected Manhattan stage: Some musicians only dream about such an opportunity, but the kids of Gibson Kids Rock didn't even need to wait until their 10th birthday. Considering all that these kids have been through in their short lives, it was a well-deserved moment in front of an adoring crowd.

On Dec. 2, Tonic attended a benefit event at Crash Mansion for Gibson Kids Rock, an after-school music program at Mott Haven Academy in the Bronx, the only charter school in the country that specifically caters to children in the foster care and child welfare system. The event included an impressive performance from the kids, who looked completely relaxed belting out tunes like "I Love Rock and Roll" and Miley Cyrus' "The Climb."

Husband and wife musicians Nefertiti Jones and Jimi K. Bones founded Gibson Kids Rock last fall and receive no pay for their weekly sessions with the kids. According to Mott Haven Academy Principal Jessica Nauiokas, Gibson Kids Rock is the cornerstone of the school's music program — and does so much more than provide kids with basic music instruction.

"Singing and performing builds confidence, it enhances their problem-solving skills and they get connected with a group of friends. In this population those things are critical," Nauiokas told Tonic. "Given our mission of trying to provide a stabilizing environment for kids who may have a lot of instability at home, we try to give them experiences at school where they feel successful — and this program does that."

Making a Mark Through Song

Gibson Kids Rock has made all the difference in the world for 8-year-old Carol, a Mott Haven Academy second grader being fostered by her aunt, Yvette. (Their last names withheld to protect their privacy.) Yvette told Tonic that Carol previously attended public school and was left back a year because she struggled to learn basic reading and writing skills. She started at Mott Haven last year and quickly joined the Gibson Kids Rock program, which gave her the confidence and motivation she needed to get back on the academic track.

"She wants to be a singer and a dancer, and we've told her, 'If you don't study and read, you can't be a singer,'" said Yvette. "She loves this program so much. When she can't go one day she cries ... She even has her singing name all picked out: Sabrina Lopez!"

Success stories like Carol are exactly why Nefertiti Jones says she decided to dedicate herself to Gibson Kids Rock on a weekly basis. Jones, a freelance musician/actress/casting agent, grew up in "a really horrific neighborhood" in Alphabet City on Manhattan's East Side, where, she says, music was her key to success.

"My mother took me to the Third Street Music School three times a week, so I was not out in the street getting in trouble. It's easy to fall prey if you're not exposed to another kind of world. Seeing other types of kids and learning about music was a really positive thing for me."

Jones and Bones: Making Sweet Music

Nefertiti Jones and Jimi K. Bones provide singing, songwriting and guitar instruction, and even convinced Gibson Guitar to donate nine guitars to the program, as well as amplifiers and occasional use of their recording space in exchange for the program to be named in their honor. Jones and Bones not only teach them music, they make sure they get out and perform as well. Wednesday's performance marked their sixth public concert, and they have already played in venues including The Bitter End.

Overall, the money raised at Wednesday's event will benefit the music room at the new Mott Haven Academy, set to open next year. The LEED-certified building will continue to nurture the school's vulnerable population, comprised of one-third kids in the foster care system, one-third from families who are receiving supportive services and one-third from the area surrounding the Mott Haven community.

The New York Foundling, a 140-year-old nonprofit child welfare organization, is partnered with the school and sponsors its after-school programs, including Gibson Kids Rock. Foundling Executive Director Bill Baccaglini attended the benefit and explained its importance to Tonic. "The arts have shown that they're wonderful vehicles where these kids feel very comfortable expressing themselves. It's a non-threatening opportunity for them, it's cathartic in a lot of ways ... and all you have to do is spend two minutes with Bones and Jones to know they just love these kids."

VJ Sway of MTV served as the event emcee Wednesday and told Tonic that the kids were a bundle of excited energy backstage, jumping off couches and listening intently as he explained the importance of perfecting the art of autographing (which he had them all demonstrate on an electric guitar). But Sway says he was impressed with how they appeared focused and prepared once they were in the spotlight. "We had a talk backstage and they were just really excited about being in front of people performing. I think the energy they get from it is exhilarating ... I could tell by the faces in the crowd that they were enjoying it, and so were the kids onstage."

One particularly impressed member of the audience was Sway's business partner, Rich Nice, a music executive who has worked with such luminaries as Mary J. Blige and Mariah Carey. Nice, a Bronx native and son of a schoolteacher, was so moved by their performance that he agreed to donate time at a recording studio to record one of their original songs.

"I have been doing music since I was eight years old, but I didn't get into a recording studio until I was in high school. But to be so young and writing songs and to put that in a studio is kind of magical to see what happens, because it could change their lives completely," Nice told Tonic on the motivation behind his donation.

Overall, Jones says the kids get increasingly more at ease with every performance, and she was especially proud of the job they did on Wednesday. "I think the kids did spectacularly because they were so happy to be there. To see the progression from being shy and timid to watch their confidence grow, it filled my heart with joy to see how much fun they were having."

It looks like Gibson Kids really do Rock.

Check out their websites to learn more about Gibson Kids Rock and Mott Haven Academy.

All photos courtesy of Frank Ishman Photography