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AngelStreet develops girls by providing musical training in communities with limited artistic opportunities. “We seek to empower young women to understand their value, discover their purpose, and become creatively equipped to serve the Memphis community as leaders.”
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You Can Mentor is a podcast about the power of building relationships. Every episode will help you overcome common mentoring obstacles and give you the confidence you need to invest in the lives of others.
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What is You Can Mentor: A Christian Youth Mentoring Podcast?
You Can Mentor is a network that equips and encourages mentors and mentoring leaders through resources and relationships to love God, love others, and make disciples in their own community. We want to see Christian mentors thrive.
We want to hear from you! Send any mentoring questions to hello@youcanmentor.com, and we'll answer them on our podcast. We want to help you become the best possible mentor you can be. Also, if you are a mentoring organization, church, or non-profit, connect with us to join our mentoring network or to be spotlighted on our show.
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You can mentor is a podcast about the power of building relationships with kids from hard places in the name of Jesus. Every episode will help you overcome common mentoring obstacles and give you the confidence you need to invest in the lives of others. You can mentor.
Speaker 2:Welcome back to the You Can Mentor podcast. My name is Steven, and I have 2 very special guests with me today. Their names are Ruth Abigail Smith and Jill Dyson. How are you
Speaker 3:guys? Doing great. Good.
Speaker 4:Thanks for having us, Steven.
Speaker 2:Hey. I am really excited to be with you and really just to to hear your story. Ruth Abigail Smith and Jill Dyson, they lead Angel Street Memphis, which is an amazing organization in Memphis, Tennessee that I want them to share about. But real quick, I just wanna hear how the weather is in Tennessee. It's like it's it's pouring right now here in in Dallas, but it's still, like, a 100 degrees.
Speaker 2:I have no idea what's going on.
Speaker 3:That probably adds some
Speaker 4:steam. Yeah.
Speaker 3:Yeah. We we're pretty humid here in Memphis and definitely, getting hot, but we kind of know what August looks like typically in Memphis, so we're we're only halfway there, unfortunately.
Speaker 4:Yeah. It's it's pretty pretty hot. Like
Speaker 2:Yes.
Speaker 4:Pretty visibly hot here.
Speaker 2:Well and we're we're halfway there to the the heat. How what's your projection on, COVID 19? Are we halfway there for COVID 19? What what's your thought?
Speaker 3:You know, just hearing for, you know, what the schools are doing and and planning for this next school year, I mean, I think most people are anticipating this time next year before we have any sense of normalcy. I'm hoping that that we're all wrong, and it'll be less than that, but that's my prediction. What about you, Ruth Abigail?
Speaker 4:Yeah. I I kinda think that. I I think people are I think we're I think we're in phase 1 of most people actually believing this is a real thing. So, I think we're, you know, it's it's we're finally getting to the place that's like, hey, maybe we should take it seriously. So, we'll, we'll see.
Speaker 4:We'll see.
Speaker 2:Oh, man. Hey, maybe we should we should wear those masks.
Speaker 4:Maybe. Maybe that's a good idea. Maybe it's not so bad. It's not a big deal.
Speaker 2:Oh, man. Well, I I don't want anyone to hear fake news from from the UK Metro podcast. So please, people be safe. Respect the CDC guidelines if you're working with kids and yeah. Let's go.
Speaker 2:We're our staff is getting excited about the fall semester, but we're also just in a in a switch up of what that looks like and so I'm sure I'm sure your guys are the same way especially if you're a a music ministry. I don't know. Just, I don't know what that looks like, but maybe we could talk about it later. Let me share a little bit about Angel Street. Angel Street develops young women through musical training in areas with limited access to the arts.
Speaker 2:And so Jill and Ruth Abigail, they empower young ladies to understand their value, discover their purpose, and be creative leaders in the city. And so I'm excited to share or hear from them on what they're doing in Memphis as it relates to music as mentoring and any practical encouragements that they have for mentors investing in the lives of children in the city. But first off, I just wanna get to know you guys. So, Ruth, how about we start with you? Who is Ruth Abigail Smith?
Speaker 4:Well, I am, originally from Houston, Texas and grew up in a in a home of of ministry. My father has been a pastor for, most of my life. He's been pastor of a church for the last, at least 20 years, I think. And so grew up in the church and grew up around ministry. And in that, you know, grew up around being in in in youth ministries and and being involved in different things growing up.
Speaker 4:And our particular the church in Houston, we were kind of unique in that we were we started off in a transitional living center in the city. And so part of our our our heart was for marginalized communities. And so that's just always been a part of me and just where where my heart's been. And I kinda knew pretty early on that that's the work I wanted to get into. And I was just able to be a part of those groups and saw things kinda come come from the ground up and be a part of that, Building some things even as a as a young person.
Speaker 4:And so that's that's kind of how I how I how I got to where I am in Memphis. I have a brother and a sister, both younger. So I'm the oldest child. And we all kind of we we all lived here at some point. So I moved to Memphis in 2010 to work with an organization called, Streets Ministries and did some direct ministry with middle and high schoolers, doing some education stuff.
Speaker 4:Then I've I've done some training for youth workers. And in the midst of all that, helped to co found Angel Street. So I've just I just have a heart for for the city, for people, and I also love music. And I've been playing keyboard and piano since I was 6 and kinda on and off up until college. And then I majored in music in college.
Speaker 4:And so music's just always been a part of my life and my family's life, and it's it's something that brings me joy today. So that's just a little bit about me and I don't know. That's all I got.
Speaker 3:Hey, great. I gotta follow-up that.
Speaker 2:I love I love the I don't know that you play the keys. You told me that a couple weeks ago that you play keys and
Speaker 4:She's awesome.
Speaker 2:I know how to play If I Ain't Got You by Alicia Keys.
Speaker 4:Mhmm. That's Very nice.
Speaker 2:Pretty much the only the only piano song that I know. And I just I just love belting it towards
Speaker 4:It's one of those, if you if you wanna impress somebody, it's a good one to impress them with. And you don't have to play anything else, Steven. That's great. Everybody knows it.
Speaker 2:I It is awesome. I just I learned it because I was pursuing a girl in college and
Speaker 3:of course. I
Speaker 2:mean it worked. We're married so I
Speaker 4:Oh that's so good.
Speaker 2:But but yeah. So and and you moved you said in 2010 to Memphis?
Speaker 4:I did.
Speaker 2:Okay that's great. And so when when did, Angel Street officially launch? Did you say that?
Speaker 4:We officially launched in 2013.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Yeah.
Speaker 3:And I guess, Ruth Abigail, you would ask the question where where
Speaker 4:did we meet? Yeah. Where did we
Speaker 3:meet then? She actually was, So a little bit about me. I I was born and raised in Memphis. I loved theater growing up and and then eventually learned musical theater, and I did show choirs and concert choir. So the arts was really a huge part of my my molding, and having access to it was pretty common.
Speaker 3:And we had it in our school. I had it in my community. We had parents that could drive us to and from, you know, play practice and rehearsals and different auditions. So, I felt pretty blessed to have those accesses growing up, But being proud of the product of the arts kind of shaped where I eventually landed on a music team at a mega church in Memphis called Hope Presbyterian where pastor Rufus is leading now our congregation and leading worship in at women's ministry events through Hope Church is actually how I got asked to start Angel Street as just a a small children's choir to open for Christmas dinner. And also is how I got to meet Ruth Abigail Smith because she was a pianist at the time and, we met through men women's ministry.
Speaker 3:She played in a wedding that I was singing at, and that's kinda how we first connected Mhmm. And just kinda continued to grow. She became my go to pianist and accompaniment for most events for women's ministry, and so we were already very connected. So she was my first phone call when they asked me to just kind of come up with an opening number for that women's Christmas dinner. They wanted a children's choir, and I thought, well, for a women's event, why not go all female and, recruit some fabulous women that I had gotten to know in the North Memphis area of Memphis.
Speaker 3:And we were connected through another outreach program associated with the church called Oasis of Hope. And so I made the phone call and said, hey. I need your help on something because I certainly don't play. And I'm not much of a choir director, but we combined forces. She brought some participants from her program at streets, and I was able to connect with some women and young ladies in North Memphis, and we had 11 girls.
Speaker 3:And that's kinda how everything got started with Angel Street. It was kinda directly after that where we started researching, you know, access to other opportunities for the girls to plug in musically in their neighborhoods and, through the community centers there. We found that there really was a big void of that, so we decided in fall of 2014 to officially open our doors as Angel Street, official program.
Speaker 2:Wow. I love it. So awesome. And I I love how you guys met at a wedding just playing music and you're like, okay. Oh, also I go to your dad's church, would you mind, you know, leading a children's choir with me?
Speaker 2:And oh, why don't we just start a 501c3? That would be cool.
Speaker 4:Right. That's exactly about how it goes. That's just this is the cliff notes. That's very good. Yeah.
Speaker 4:It is.
Speaker 3:Very good. Recap.
Speaker 2:Oh, it's so good. Well, I'm excited to hear more kind of I I guess really just even how you said, something you mentioned, Joe, was access. Realizing that in you growing up, you had a lot of opportunities and access to the arts. And so I'd love for either of you to to share about when when you started to recognize that that wasn't the experience of kids or girls in Memphis and and how that informed kind of what you guys are doing
Speaker 4:now. Well,
Speaker 3:I can just remember that very first season in the spring. I had connected with one of our participants who was a senior that year, and, it was even access to finding out how to apply to college. You know, there wasn't a strong program at our school that allowed her to really get some personalized attention to walk through the process of, you know, applying to colleges and looking at opportunities that were available to her. So we even started just kind of forming relationships and kind of support in that way, that spring. And her miss Terian, and she's gone on to do some wonderful things through just a series of events that kind of we all connected on early during that spring semester, and then, where she is now, we'd stay highly connected.
Speaker 3:But just having even just the awareness of of programs that were active and engaging after school that really if if someone was not necessarily as a female inclined to sports or athletics, where there seems to be a lot more offerings, than they find themselves sometimes just kind of roaming with nothing to do and sitting at home. And so we knew that, after looking at the schools in North Memphis, it's a ZIP code that had at one point the highest infant mortality rate in the country, and and at one point was also considered a pretty high crime area as well as, low income, like, the 3rd zip 4th zip code in the country. So we we knew that there's there were some things going on that we need to kind of research and look into. And so we went to some of the schools that Isaac Hayes and Elvis Presley attended. Quite literally, these were their stomping grounds and surprisingly, we're not finding the music programs to be existing or specifically after school.
Speaker 3:And then even a step further, really no active programming for just females. So I'll let Ruth Abigail kinda tell you more about that, but that was our discovery.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Yeah. Working at streets, which is I like to sometimes describe it as, like, you know, a like a YMCA for kids on steroids. It is it's got everything a kid could want. I mean, it's
Speaker 2:Like, the kids aren't on steroids, but the
Speaker 4:program Yeah. So let's be clear. Yes. The kids are drug free. But but but the, no.
Speaker 4:But the the the the center is nice. It's got a gym and video games and regular games and a computer lab and all of that. And it's open facility for young people to come and just be and be kids that have opportunities and educational and recreational and outreach and hear the gospel and all of it. And so that's kind of, that was, that's why I worked. But one thing that I noticed through that experience is, was indeed a lack of engagement, like, like intentional engagement for young ladies.
Speaker 4:Obviously, you know, young women are are welcome to do everything. Right? I mean, and and encouraged to do it, to do everything and try everything that was offered. But we would even have conversations as a team, you know, and eventually, came up with an idea to have what we call a girls' room, or I think we eventually named it something specific after after, a supporter of the of the ministry, but a room that was dedicated to young ladies. And so it was very clear that we needed to be more intentional in that way.
Speaker 4:And I started to see that pattern around the city, particularly with my work in training youth workers, because that kind of connected me to a lot of different organizations around the city and the same seeing the same thing and just, you know, young ladies not being thought of first. And I think that was the thing that we really wanted to lean into is we want a program in a community that thinks of girls first and, and, and can be designed with them in mind as opposed to, sometimes what might feel like an afterthought. And so the arts is something that that's not just fun, but also it builds skill. And I think that's the other thing. Young, young within programs that young women can be a part of, a lot of times it's focused more on, there's not a whole lot of focus on like building something, like giving a skill or building a talent and being active, you know?
Speaker 4:And, and that, that that's that was just really important. We're we're community based for a reason. So we, we, we are, we're located in a community and we think about the community we're in first. Although we have girls and have always and will always have girls that want to come from different parts of Memphis. But as far as our focus is concerned or who we reach out to intentionally, we want to make sure that that's where they are because the access point is crucial.
Speaker 4:And that's something that is lacking with a lot of different programs. There are a lot of programs that are citywide and require transportation and require it in order to take part. And we don't want those barriers. We want to try to limit those barriers as much as possible so that we can serve and give access to things, quality things in a professional way for free for the most part, you know, in a in a in a part of our city that is often forgotten. And so that's really, really important to us.
Speaker 2:Wow. I I love hearing just the the thought process of what organizations are built or organized with girls in mind as the the first priority and not as an afterthought, like you said. I just I mean, it gets my mind thinking. I'm, like, I'm trying to think of what organizations do I know that are are that? And I mean, I can't think of any off the top of my head.
Speaker 2:And I I particularly think about programs that are I mean, I'm the director of mentoring at an all boys program. So we very intentionally made our program all about boys. And the only thought that comes into my head is like, how do we make this a co ed program? Not what does what does our program look like if it was for all girls? And so I I wonder if, I mean, have you guys run into other organizations with that similar thought process of how do we build this from the ground up for girls?
Speaker 3:We we often get the the question, are y'all ever going to consider including and incorporating a male focus? And we always unashamedly and unapologetically say no. We are we know what we do well. We are an all female staff and board of directors, and we we want to meet and fill the void of of, you know, the lack of engagement for females and allow girls to be girls when they come in, allow girls to be kids. As often a lot of our participants come from, you know, homes that where they have to be more responsible than the average kid because there's just a lot more pressure on them with single parent homes, sometimes working multiple jobs.
Speaker 3:And so we want to, first of all, create a space that's safe, nurturing, loving, and that allows them to share, you know, their struggles, learn, mentor, but specifically have fun and be kids. Our response oftentimes is quite different than what the schools will kind of implement as far as discipline goes. You could kinda say it's a little more harsh from the school's angle, and when they come to our place, they they have respect and and understanding of how to, you know, respond and respect the the teacher and the teaching staff and the mentors, but but they do it in a loving way where it's more like a sisterhood than anything else.
Speaker 4:Yeah. And I I would just I'll just add to that. Like, I think that to to, you know, there are definitely organizations that I think about Girl Scouts, think about Girls Inc, which are obviously national organizations that do exist, that are for girls, and it and it's awesome. I think the uniqueness about Angel Street is a couple of things. The the first one being it's arts focused.
Speaker 4:Right? Now I will say and it could just be because, you know, obviously, we don't know all the organizations that exist. So I don't wanna say that there's none out there, but, we don't know of any that any any all female focused, female led organizations for the arts. I don't know that that is something that that exists, at least not here in Memphis. So, I think that's a unique part that we get to really kind of participate in.
Speaker 4:And then the other thing, and I this is one of the reasons I admire Jill, is being intentional about a team that is representative of the girls we serve. And, and that, that is also a huge part. I know for me growing up doing music, one of the things I think about often is I personally went to a, I went to a predominantly white private school throughout my entire career, and career, my entire education. And we, I never had an African American teacher for anything until I was 17. And I had my, it was my it was my, in my opinion, the best music teacher I had.
Speaker 4:And, she was an African American professional musician who played classical music. And I didn't up until that point, I had never met anybody who was African American that played classical music. I don't even think I believed that any did until I saw it. And I saw and that's really what I had learned my whole life. And so it just shifted even my perspective on music just to be taught by somebody that looked like me.
Speaker 4:And and so that's something that that is also extremely important and very intentional, you know, and and and that when when we were hiring and when we do hire, we put that at the forefront and keep that in mind. A very intentional like, Hey, we need a team that is representative of the girls so that they can see themselves and see what's possible for folks that look like them. And I think a lot of times it is it's not always in the forefront of the minds of organizations to kind of take that next step and be intentional about that. And so, I think that's also something that is a focus that we have that's that we can we can really lean into. And musically, it's a beautiful thing.
Speaker 4:I love that. Yep.
Speaker 2:So good. So good. I I mean, there's so much I could jump off from both of your responses. Well, I'll I'll choose 2 of them. Okay?
Speaker 2:I'm gonna choose 2. Jill, you said allowing girls to be kids and I I'd love for you to unpack, I mean, even just some of the issues that you see girls facing in your community that, maybe disallow them from a childhood or a conception of what being a kid is, what pressures are they facing, and, yeah, I would just love to hear your thoughts on that.
Speaker 3:Well, anyone in the age range of 8 to 18 have challenges, specifically females right now and just the images that are portrayed in in their world. So you've got that and then add an element of I mean, in all honesty poverty and and having less access to resources that, invest into you. That is just kind of a recipe that that needs attention, it needs love, it needs nurturing. And and so I would I would say a story kind of that that stands out as you asked that question is, one of our participants, and it was like our 1st day to officially open in 2014, and we were holding auditions at the community center that we have our kind of flagship location headquarters. And we were I was preparing the room.
Speaker 3:I got there early and was setting up, like, the little audition sheets where they were gonna fill out with their parents as they come. And one girl shows up early, and she's super excited to be there, and she's helping me, and she's super assertive with, you know yeah. I could tell she's a little leader and she was just kind of helping with all the little pieces, kept asking for me. What else can I do? What she just wanted to jump right in.
Speaker 3:And she's holding my hand and we were walking back and forth from the front door, because we had to kinda weave our way back to where the auditions were being held just so no one missed where we were. And so we made that journey a couple times, and, she was so excited. And like I said, she was holding my hand and we walked up to the front and the director of the location of the community center, stopped us abruptly and said, no. No. No.
Speaker 3:No. She is not allowed in here, and pointed to the participant that was with me. And she said, she is a bad girl and she is not allowed in here. And I my heart just sank. I I thought for sure she must be mistaken, this precious girl who's so helpful and holding my hand and so eager to be there.
Speaker 3:And so I I kinda panicked. I didn't really know what to do. I felt very unqualified at that moment. So I just kind of reacted quickly. I said, well, hold on just a minute.
Speaker 3:Let me have a discussion with you, and I brought the participant. I kinda over to the side. I said, hold on just a minute. I wanna have a conversation, with the director. We have full respect for the property knowing she's got a lot more experience than me.
Speaker 3:It's day 1 for me just getting to know some of, the residents there, and so I just wanted to kind of, you know, talk to her aside. And I came to understand that there have been some choices that the participant had made and, that, you know, she'd caused some incidents with fighting. And and when you looked, at the situation through a a newer lens, you I kinda see that she had a lot of freedom in the neighborhood and was roaming because she had a single parent home and there was a lot of siblings in, her household, but she was she just had a lot to do, but no structured activity to actually partake in. And so that was kind of where she was, like I said, an outstanding leader. Right?
Speaker 3:So she can either make good choices as a leader or, choices that are where she's not as informed and not taught. And so she was making poor choices and and and leading in in a in a different way. And, and so, basically, what it came down to was getting her a fresh start and a a clean slate where we were able to talk the director into giving her that shot and and giving her some grace and just a new day to start over. And so that was mutually agreed upon if if the parent was located and and contacted and and could mutually agree upon that as well. We worked it out.
Speaker 3:She stayed with us for a good 2 years until she got into athletics and sports, and we still see her on occasion, but the transformation that happened during that time was pretty impacting. She she was strong as a leader. She was strong with her convictions and her voice, musically and inward, and just very expressive and just needed a place and and and a group of people to invest in. She loved attention, and so that was kind of a lot of the the behavior that was happening beforehand. And so when she got that attention on a platform of performance, it kinda channeled all that amazing energy into some place constructive and productive, and so we were, really excited about that.
Speaker 3:But I think what we were able to do is also offer just a renaming, when she was deemed as bad girl, that is literal what the director had named her at that that given moment. It was just an opportunity for us as leaders who are Christian and based on faith, our program really allowed her to understand her value was in Christ and that name, you know, was beautiful and fierce and loyal and, you know, it changed a lot of, direction, I think, for her, and it's that's always a story I kinda kind of recall and remember when when I'm talking about just the impact that it can have. You know, arts in general and performance and music and having opportunities to learn something and then showcase that skill in an audience is immediate transformation with confidence and esteem. But some of those other things that we get to do throughout our programming when we have those 1 on 1 encounters just allow us to invest and really build up, a young woman. And so that's that's kinda what I thought of.
Speaker 2:It's powerful, Jill. It's really powerful. Even just, off of that, what I what I hear you saying is that a lot of times, girls may not have the structure necessary for them to flourish, and that can lead them to a lot of different choices, like you said, of of maybe not having, like, an organization to belong into that would give them direction and vision and, I guess, a a way forward to give them a a way to progress. And even music feels like, I mean, a cool really just a not a visual, but an audible progression that you're seeing yourself develop in ways that you haven't seen yourself develop before. But then also having support and relationships and togetherness that creates an environment where girls can actually be girls and not have to become adults that are just flooded with freedom and have no idea how to respond and act and manage themselves within that kind of freedom.
Speaker 2:But, actually, the the flourishing comes within structure. Right.
Speaker 4:At
Speaker 2:least that's what that's what I heard you say.
Speaker 3:Absolutely. And just affirming having the opportunity just to affirm those strengths and to kind of have teaching moments to, you know, just guide her on where to use those strengths. Everyone has strengths and weaknesses and and often some of our strengths become weaknesses in certain areas. And so that's what we just kind of, I think, appreciate, with our platform and and our opportunity that we have as mentors, to guide and and help teach because, I mean, the girls are are immature. They're not mature enough to make some of those decisions, yet.
Speaker 3:They need experience in life and hopefully loving adults to help them. I mean, I think that most of our staff can attest to not just being products of the arts as a great, I guess, structure for us, but but people who stood in the gap and made us who we are today.
Speaker 2:Yep. No. That's good. Ruth Abigail, I wanted to ask you a follow-up on what you said about not having someone who looked like you be teaching you in music until you were I think you said 17. And I'm sure well, I'm not sure, but I'll ask the question.
Speaker 2:I'm I think you may have had examples or models of musical leaders within the church growing up that looked like you. But how was that experience seeing it in other areas of life? Was that I mean, is that in a way different in your childhood experience of not just seeing it in the church?
Speaker 4:Yeah. That's a good question. Yes. Because I think, first of all, you know, it's there there's a a larger time investment that that I think I experienced outside of the church. I definitely had examples, you know, in the church and had good relationships with people that were willing to pour into me, but the time investment was was crucial.
Speaker 4:And I think I think that that that's that's probably the biggest currency that anybody can, really kind of give is time. And and my teacher gave me way more time than I asked for even. And and and, you know, you get to know someone, you see their strengths, you you see how they can you see what they're capable of, and then you push them towards that. But that takes time and intentionality. And so I think that that was my experience later in my teen in my teenage years.
Speaker 4:And then one thing I remember she told me this, and I've taken this with me, I I taught piano for years, really, up until I took this particular position. And one of the things that she said, I'm not just teaching you how to play. I'm teaching you how to teach. And I I I've never forgotten that because that's exactly what she was doing. She was giving me the tools to not just be good myself, but to pass it on.
Speaker 4:And when I would when I would teach, you know, young people, I would always remember that and use a lot of the same techniques and the same kind of, intentionality and try to kind of emulate that same posture, when I when I when I gave, you know, lessons to students. And then just in general, like, you know, like connecting with young people in a way that doesn't just it's not just for them in the moment. Like, you equipping you hopefully to be able to do the same for the people that you're connected to. Whether that's your peers, whether that's people that are coming up under you later on, because that's important. I mean, that's the way we grow.
Speaker 4:You don't just grow by being poured into. I think you grow by pouring into others. And so all of that, quite frankly, was just something I learned from from that teacher. And again, just the connection of seeing someone who resembled myself just made that even more powerful. It just makes it it because because you see again a possibility that's harder to see, unfortunately, in the society we live in.
Speaker 4:And that's just what's real. It's harder to see it in somebody who doesn't look like you. It's just harder to see. But you can connect to it a lot quicker with with a person who looks like you and may or may not may or may not have had your same experience. But a lot of times, there is, integrated experience in that.
Speaker 4:And so I think I think that that's just incredibly important and impactful, for young people that I've seen throughout this, season.
Speaker 2:Yeah. That's so powerful. So powerful. Well, I wanna talk about music because I I think that's a huge part of what you guys are doing. And, I mean, my main question is just why music?
Speaker 2:Why is music a good model for mentoring? And even even just kinda how you guys have communicated that, if a girl in school is not interested in sports, she might not have as many opportunities for extracurricular investment outside of school and outside of the home. And I would just love to hear yeah. I mean, you can get in-depth, like, philosophical about why music is the best thing, but and I'd love that if you could if you want to. But, I mean, I just wanna ask that question, why why music?
Speaker 3:Well, you know, I think that music has a powerful way of uniting people, much like sports do. I mean, any city that, take Memphis for instance, that has a huge, you know, kind of a big segregation, to be quite honest. We're just a separate city in most aspects from, you know, our interest to our neighborhood ZIP codes to, you know, even transportation is just shows a divide. And music and sports have a unique way of bringing people together to celebrate one cause. And so, you know, we see the power in music as musicians and artists, which is what makes up most of our staff, not all, but but a good portion of it, especially our teaching team.
Speaker 3:But we are most of us also are direct recipients of being, you know, artists and music. And so I just think to me, it just brings people together. And it, again, it allows, you know, some freedom to express yourself. Where it's sometimes hard to use words, you can do it in a in a song. So I think the expression, allows for a lot of open discussion for, you know, issues that are currently happening to, you know, anything of any matter of the heart, you can do it in music very well and very easily.
Speaker 3:So sometimes it's an expression that's more articulate for somebody who's young to be able to express, and I think it just it teaches us how to celebrate each other as well, and it's it's done that for us through Angel Street. But that's that's my personal reason why I think music works, but I'd love to hear from Ruth Abigail on that.
Speaker 4:I agree I agree with all of that, Jill. I, the most technical thing I'll say, I'll just throw in something technical, is it I mean, it's it's music has been proven to develop the brain in a different way. And that's whether you're, you know, you're singing, you're you're playing, it it it kind of exercises a muscle in the brain that that other things don't. And so I think it's it's, you know, it's really interesting. A lot of a lot of young I mean, almost every, adult that I when I when I say, yeah, I teach or I play piano.
Speaker 4:It's like, oh, I took piano as a kid. It's amazing how many adults at some point took piano or some instrument. I think there's a reason for that because they're I mean, and they don't forget it. And, and there there's just something that connects in the brain to how how you're learning music and different other elements that it connects to. So that's as technical as we have to get, I think.
Speaker 4:But for me, I think the, the why music is music brings something out of individuals a lot of times that they aren't aware of. Right? They don't even know it's there. I I know and I that's for me personally. That that was that's absolutely the case.
Speaker 4:I when I I am an introvert by nature. I don't typically come alive unless it's around people I know really well or it's music. Something happens and I all of a sudden become just almost completely different when I when I'm playing or when I'm enjoying music. And that and so it brings something out that other things don't bring out. And I think we see that in our in young people.
Speaker 4:Most of the girls that come through do have have never sung in a choir before and they've certainly never sung by themselves. Right? Never sung a solo. They've never written a song. And and by the time they leave us, whether it's a year or or or if they've been here 7 years, they've done all of those things for the most part.
Speaker 4:And it it is amazing to see, like Jill was saying earlier, the confidence that's built as a result of that. As a result of seeing yourself do something and a side of yourself that's been unlocked that you had no idea was there. It's a creative side, a a side of confidence, like your personality. I mean, so I'm I'm I'm currently sitting in the office next to we have a vocal boot camp going on. And there's a young lady in there who, she actually it's supposed to be for 1 week and and we have different groups of kids come in each week.
Speaker 4:She decided to come back a 2nd week. We did not know this nor did we ask her to do it. She just showed up and said, come on in. But she has discovered it herself, you know, or I'd say we've discovered it. She may have already known it was there, but she is a writer.
Speaker 4:I mean, she really does really well writing songs and and enjoys it. And we didn't know that that was there. And one of the teachers was telling her mom, she was just saying how proud she was and and it brought it almost brought tears to her mom's eyes. And I and she just kinda explained how how much she's grown since she's been a part of Angel Street. She's been apart for about 2 years now.
Speaker 4:And I mean, she is almost a different person. I mean, she was just in there clowning and, you know, for the 1st year or so, you had to definitely speak to her before she said anything to you. And then if she was going to say anything to you, it may have been 2 or 3 words. Now, you know, she's writing songs and she's acting, you know, acting a complete mess and having a blast, you know, and making everybody laugh in the camp. And so, it is just amazing to I think the arts and music, it just brings something out that that you just you didn't know.
Speaker 4:Like, and then it it just it gives you the confidence to be, I think, your full self. Right? Especially young ladies, like, you know, so much of the culture is saying what you should be and what how you should look and what you should think and, you know, what you should enjoy and, and, and all this stuff. And it's, it's, it's this is what you should be, but, but I think music helps you to understand who you are, like, and, and really bring that out. And so that you can show up in the world as your authentic self and be confident in that.
Speaker 4:And so I think we've seen that in so many different young ladies and I think it's helped all of us to, to be able to do that as well.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I think, also, just I can think back, and the opportunity to, like, showcase a different side of you is really an empowering thing. It gives you a reason to be it it's an acceptable place and platform to be more expressive if you're a little more timid or to try something new, and to do it boldly from a stage in front of audience that will show you approval immediately is really a very fulfilling thing for a lot of people. And and there's nothing like that that gives you that confidence, that rush, that that high, I guess, you could say, from an experience on earth that that can give you that kind of fulfillment and accomplishment when you've been able to do that. And we see that after a rehearsal or, I mean, a performance.
Speaker 3:I think, Ruth, Abigail, you were talking yesterday at how they they did a live video on Facebook last week at the conclusion of the camp for the 1st week session and, you know, leading up to it, nerves can make us all, you know, a little different and a little wired and a little on our head, and so sometimes that looks disengaging to an audience. But immediately after, the relief that comes from accomplishing something that that made you nervous or fearful or got your blood pumping and your heart racing, there's just a really cool experience that bonds the group together as well because they all experienced it much the same way. So it's just kind of a bunch of things that work together for it all, but but it's exciting and we love to watch that rush off the stage and the celebration that occurs afterwards. It's just a it's something to take pride in and that we love to see.
Speaker 4:Yeah. It's
Speaker 2:amazing. I love it, man. Well, I wish I could sign up, but I'm I have a y chromosome.
Speaker 4:Sure. Sure. You know the Understood.
Speaker 3:You could be our audience, though, and that's the cool thing. You could be a supporter and an audience member all along the way. We really love our our guys, and the support that they offer. The dads that are part of our group, from participants have just blown us away and are critical part of of how we move together and move forward. So you're included,
Speaker 4:Steve. I promise.
Speaker 2:That's all I needed to hear. Well, it's amazing to hear your story, just just the the powerful nature of music bringing girls together, helping them learn new things about themselves, figure out who they are. I mean, I remember when I was a kid, I used to write poems. I was I was a an emotional, guy, but no one no one actually encouraged that within me. And so I'm just I'm thinking about girls who have never been encouraged to write down what they feel or express it in healthy ways and to have safe spaces to share those things and to to create and grow and I mean, it just it makes me tear up thinking about what you guys are providing for the girls and environment for them to to flourish and to recognize their inner life and focus on that rather than all the external expectations that the world's trying to place on girls from a young age.
Speaker 2:So I just Right. Hats off to you guys just I'm I'm blown away and super encouraged. And I wonder if you would have any practical encouragements for mentors or mentoring leaders who are looking to invest in girls in the in the city wherever they're at. What encouragement would you wanna give them as we end our time?
Speaker 3:Gosh. That's a good one. There's a Instagram challenge right now. It's from, women to other women. Just encouraging just investment and women supporting women is the hashtag.
Speaker 2:My wife posted that this morning.
Speaker 3:Yeah. Yeah. So, it's just timely because Ruth Abigail and I were talking about that last week. It it's just as important for us to have mentors as it is to be a mentor. So I would say just continue to grow and learn.
Speaker 3:You know, it's not like you arrive to a point and you pass on and graduate from having a mentor. I think we all need them and it doesn't have to have a specific age attached to it. You know, you can be mentored by somebody who's younger than you. We, as mentors, though, you you do sign up to invest. And like Ruth Abigail said, that's time, that's, love, and you can only give that away when you're receiving it.
Speaker 3:And I think that's both you know, that's foundation of of what Christ teaches is is we have to be filled with with him in order to give him away. And so we we kind of model that, and I think as a staff encourage that we have to be full before we can do any kind of filling. And so I don't know if there's there's any any nugget in there, but that's kind of what I'm I'm thinking for other mentors to make sure you're getting filled so that when you are giving, you're giving from a place of fullness, I guess, if that makes sense. Because that's that's the most effective way. It's kind of like ministering.
Speaker 3:You don't wanna minister outside of the spirit of God. You want to minister when you're full of the spirit so you're not doing it in the flesh. And so just kind of keeping that as your grounding, I think, is important.
Speaker 4:Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. Very good, Jill. That is good.
Speaker 4:I agree. A 100%. You know, I'm I'm I'm kind of my mind is going back to the story Jill told earlier about the young lady that was a part that that she was saying, you know, was called a bad girl and came into our program, and we get to, kinda show her that she's she's not that, and and then call her by different names. And I I'm I'm you know, I think about her today. And and so, I think some of the the the practical things I've I've learned, I think over the years is in in pouring into young people is that their story is not over just because they leave you.
Speaker 4:And I think that God places us in people's lives for a season. And so, she came to Angel Street. There's another organization that we partner with, in the same space, in the same building. And so, when she got a little older and started getting involved in sports, she kind of began to transition over to some of that programming and got connected to other mentors that were pouring into her life in different ways and were able to walk walk with her in a different way than we were able to. And that we were called to.
Speaker 4:Right? And so, but seeing ourselves as seed planners, in every relationship is important. And recognizing that because you may not be an integral part of somebody's story today, does not mean that that God is continuing to use what you've done in the rest of their story. We are, you know, and I can count more young people that I am no longer connected with than I am currently over over these last 10 years that I've been in Memphis. The ones that I'm still connected with, there's a special there's a reason for that.
Speaker 4:And God has continued to grow those relationships. But the vast majority, I don't have any contact with anymore. But I know and believe that time that we had was valuable and that they were able to take that and kind of continue to continue the path towards growth on it. And so I just think that sometimes like and as we're pursuing mentoring relationships and as we're kind of growing in that, it's it's important to keep that perspective and to let let God's timing lead you. And when it's time to be done, it you need to be done and and trust that God is working without you.
Speaker 4:I think sometimes we get we get caught up in, like, what can I do and me and this person's life? But that doesn't that won't always be the case. Like, that's it's it's God's story. It's not yours. And I think also the reality that that journey won't always be smooth.
Speaker 4:And so, to still be encouraged when the when you see young people or see people you're mentoring go through rocky points and not always feel the need to, to to save and rescue. Like, that's not your that's not our job. A lot of times our job is to remain faithful and to trust that God is doing what he's doing on their behalf. And, again, that that he has used us and will continue to use us, but it's his timing and and his plan and not ours. And so to get out of the way when it's time for us to get out of the way.
Speaker 3:Yeah. I really like that, Ruth Abigail, and it also reminds me of, a lot of people understandably want to get something back in return from from giving as far as, like, being able to see the fruits of of the investment. Right? And so there's there's sometimes can get some impatience, like, in the process of not being able to see immediate results if you're, really specifically investing into someone who's having a challenging season. I hear that a lot from and I think it also can burn someone out.
Speaker 3:But I think that my advice for someone in a situation is to just have long patience. Like, patience in that the fact that you you go in without the expectation of receiving something immediately back, but knowing that your investment is going to be a part of the big picture. Like Ruth Abigail said, it may be in for a season, but transformations typically take a really long time. I know for me, personally, it has. I'm not the person I am today that I was 10 years ago, 20 years ago, 30 years ago, and I will continue to evolve and learn and grow throughout my whole life.
Speaker 3:So I think we just need to extend that to the people we are investing in with with less expectations about what it does for us, but truly just giving it away and expecting nothing in return will pleasantly surprise you and what you're gifted back. So that's just looser grip of circumstances, in my opinion, is what we need to kind of have as our posture in a mentoring, relationship.
Speaker 2:Wow. Well, I mean, talking about nuggets, that was like a 10 chicken McNugget meal from McDonald's right there. So
Speaker 3:Kinda sauce.
Speaker 2:Yeah. Oh, man. The barbecue. Okay.
Speaker 4:That's a good answer.
Speaker 2:Or Chick Fil A sauce if we're going to Chick Fil A.
Speaker 4:I was I was I was gonna say, I mean, come on. I I'm a little insulted that we didn't go that far, but it's fine, Steven. Don't worry about it. It's cool.
Speaker 3:Oh, no. Abigail, we are in Memphis. Barbecue is our our our thing here.
Speaker 4:So I mean, that's fine. But Chick Fil I mean, come on. It's Chick Fil A. I mean, they got barbecue sauce too.
Speaker 3:So They do. And in fact, they're, they're is it their honey barbecue sauce? It's creamy. Oh, that's
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah. Oh, man. Well, Ruth Abigail Smith, Jill Dyson from Angel Street Memphis. Thank you so much for investing in our mentors. How can our people get a hold of you, if they're they're interested in hearing more about what you guys are doing in Memphis?
Speaker 3:Well, we have a website angelstreetmemphis.com. That's also kind of our handles on social media, Facebook, Instagram. We were very active in posting what is new and and exciting and upcoming. So check us out on all three of those platforms. You can also, you know, click on our information and send us a message.
Speaker 3:We will receive that, but I'd also don't mind giving my email away. It's it's jill@anglestreetmyphis.com, and and Ruth Abigail is is her name. Ruthabigail@anglestreetmyphis.com. So There you go.
Speaker 4:Also, info at anglestreetmyphis.com if you want to just, if you forget those the names Yeah. Just do just do info, and that will come to us as well. Yep. Yeah. So
Speaker 2:Amazing. Well, thank you. Thank you so much for for your time today. It was amazing getting to hear your story.
Speaker 4:Well, thank you Coming out of habitus. Yeah.