YOUTH LEADERSHIP

Youth are involved in all aspects of the organization: leading songwriting workshops, participating in The Village community meeting sessions, attending our annual planning retreat to define organizational goals, helping as program assistants, and serving as youth advisory board members.

Brando Colon joined ZUMIX in 2004. Brando is a leader at ZUMIX because of his deep love of music, his desire to challenge the status quo, his active imagination, and his willingness to share his musical talents with others. Brando has been involved in numerous programs at ZUMIX including: individual drum lessons, theater, music production, songwriting, and radio. More recently Brando has increased his involvement by helping lead the new Rock Ed program. Brando invests a lot of energy in his music, finding new, creative ways to play and engage in music. He is always willing to step in and help others, whether it's a band looking for a drummer, or a radio host looking for a guest.

Erica Downey started taking guitar lessons at ZUMIX when she was a terribly-shy twelve year old. Erica is a leader at ZUMIX because she has blossomed into a self-assured, civic-minded, powerful young woman. She joined loads of programs at ZUMIX including: StreetWise - an original songwriting program, theater, vocal group, and ZUMIX Radio (she runs an amazing show called "A Walk in Their Shoes"); she has been an active member of our Youth Advisory Board, was nominated and became an active member of the Mayor's Youth Council, got a part-time job at the Neighborhood of Affordable Housing doing urban environmental awareness and advocacy, and has recently been nominated as a candidate for Governor Deval Patrick's Youth Advisory Council. At ZUMIX she is the lead singer for the rock band Arias. Erica is a junior at East Boston High School where she maintains good grades, and is a member of the swim team. Erica manages to balance a very hectic schedule - juggling school, work, music, civic engagement, and family, she is a wonderful example of how powerful a young person can be if they channel their energy and take risks. She is inspirational and always willing to help others.

Eddie Gill came to ZUMIX in 2006 when he joined the Vocal Group. Eddie is a leader at ZUMIX because of his shear enthusiasm, eagerness to engage, and active recruitment of new participants. In a very short period of time, Eddie has taken numerous programs at ZUMIX, including: theater, vocal group, songwriting, and some of our technical training programs. He has also been trained to be a radio host, running a weekly show called "The Mosh Pit" which features heavy-metal music and interviews with local rock bands that Eddie's discovered on Myspace.com. When he is not at ZUMIX Eddie works at the East Boston branch of the Boston Public Library on Meridian Street. A senior at East Boston High School, Eddie's dream is to be the lead singer in a rock band. He is well on his way, having joined Rock Ed!

Renee Marrone began at ZUMIX in 2000 - she was ten years old. Renee is a leader at ZUMIX because she is creative, reliable, and always willing to help. Renee has definite goals for her life. She is currently studying theater at the Boston Arts Academy and plans to study theater, theater technology, and education at NYU or Emerson College, with the goal of combining her interest in the arts with her desire to teach. Renee has participated in many of the programs that ZUMIX offers, including: voice lessons, the ZUMIX vocal group, and improvisational theater. She was trained to do her own radio show, playing Broadway musicals - a genre rarely heard on commercial radio stations. Renee has served as a co-facilitator for the Warmth Program - using music to brighten the lives of local seniors during the winter months. Most recently she has been hired by ZUMIX to be part of a Youth Design Team - helping to research and make interior design recommendations for our Firehouse project.

Pam Nunez started at ZUMIX in 2006. Pam is a leader at ZUMIX because she is original, helpful, and is a real "thinker" - confident enough to know when to step forward and say "I can lead this", and thoughtful enough to know when to step back to gain a different perspective. Pam is currently attending the John D. O'Bryant High School, and just completed a math and science program at MIT. Pam exhibits maturity beyond her years, with more insight into world events than most adults. Pam has participated in many ZUMIX programs including theater classes, guitar lessons, ZUMIX Radio 1630AM, and our technical training programs. Pam is now part of our Tech Crew, paid to run sound at community events. She has also been trained to use our database, assisting the administrative staff with data gathering and entry. In the spring of 2007, Pam was hired as a co-facilitator of Z-Tech Live - helping lead other youth in the fascinating world of sound.

Maria Servillon came to ZUMIX to join our ZUMIX Radio team, but very quickly became a solid member of the ZUMIX community. Maria is a leader at ZUMIX because she is curious, intelligent, and artistically fearless. Although Maria is a quiet person by nature, she has pushed herself to bust out of this shell, joining our Rock Ed program and becoming a DJ on ZUMIX Radio. Maria is now one of the lead singers for the rock band Eight-Ball, embodying all the characteristics of a rock diva on stage. In ZUMIX Radio, the care and attention to detail that Maria puts into her radio program is an inspiration to all the radio DJ's. Her work represents a standard that raises the caliber of all ZUMIX Radio music programs. Maria is a senior at East Boston High School and plans to go to college next year.