Youth Center Students Find their Voice, and Hope, Through Song Writing
It’s the stuff dreams and lifelong memories are made of. A team of young men, arms slung over one another, singing into a microphone, collaborating on a goal, identifying mistakes, celebrating achievement. It’s a scene that could play out in any high school music room. But in this room, a guard sits near the door and pencils are handed out at the beginning of class and collected at the end of class. These students, these chorus members, are in the Hamilton County Juvenile Court Youth Detention Center.
It’s 8:30am on a Monday and eight detained teens from pod 302A are still a bit sleepy as they begin the school day with their first class: music with teacher Aimee James. Under her direction, residents of each pod, 10 in all, are working as a team to create and record original songs, both lyrics and music.
For pod 302A, the song they’ve written is called “Tell Me Now.” A recording of the final version will be shared at the Cincinnati Pubic Schools (CPS) Cultural Arts Festival on Oct. 16, along with original work produced by residents from two other pods.
Ms. James is an established local song writer and pianist, as well as a CPS teacher for the past five years. This is her first year as part of the Youth Center’s CPS teaching team. Her students are detained, waiting for charges against them to be heard in Juvenile Court. But in music class, they are song writers, singers, producers, audio engineers, and music critics.
“I didn’t know how much I was going to love this job,” says Ms. James of working with Youth Center residents. “Creating music gives them a positive outlet. They need someone to care about them.”
Like her students, Ms. James’ path hasn’t been smooth or direct. She was pursuing a music degree at Miami University when, in 2010 during her junior year, medical issues including anxiety and polycystic ovary syndrome, forced her to leave school. She gave up her lifelong dream, and moved home to the Dayton area to focus on her health.
In an article about her journey posted on Miami University’s website in 2020, Ms. James said she lost her passion while dealing with her illness, and didn’t touch a piano for six years. But in 2018 with her health improved and her motivation returning, she re-enrolled at Miami with a goal to finish her degree as a non-traditional student. She hit that goal in August 2020.
In 2021, she joined CPS, but struggled to find a music opening. She taught English, English as a second language, and even math. Teaching English allowed her to help students explore poetry, which she often turned into music. While her passion for music played out in her personal pursuits, including writing songs and getting weekend gigs, professional openings for music teachers were few and far between.
A CPS colleague recommended she apply for the music teacher opening at the Youth Center. One of several candidates, Ms. James was offered the job by CPS Youth Center Principal Ryan Gourley almost immediately after her interview.
“She is an amazing teacher, artist, and singer,” Gourley said. “The students talk so fondly about her, love her work, and how she engages them. She is bringing life to our music class and showing students how they can use music to find their emotions and improve their lives.”
Ms. James says, “While I have only been teaching here at the Hamilton County Youth Center for a short time, it has already been one of the most meaningful experiences of my life. I’ve always been deeply passionate about writing music, so getting to share that passion with these young people is incredibly special. Helping them create songs, and seeing their faces light up when they hear their own voices on a track they helped bring to life is powerful beyond words. It’s more than making music. It’s about helping them feed seen, heard, and valued. I’ve learned so much from their stories. In their words and melodies, you can hear the resilience, creativity, and strength they carry within them. This work has changed me. It truly feels like a dream to be able to do something that brings both healing and hope.
“Not a lot of people get a second chance,” she said, speaking about herself when she graduated back in 2020. Now, Ms. James is part of giving a second chance to every child held in the Youth Center.