Nehemiah Clincy presses play in Evanston’s small recording studio.
“This one is called, ‘Dear Dad,'” he explained. “This song is about my dad who died when I was 7 years old.”
Nehemiah is now 15. He wrote and recorded the song at Music Resource Center Cincinnati. When the drums start playing, he begins singing: “Why did you say goodbye that way? “Why did you have to go?”
Nehemiah’s mother plays the guitar in the center’s radio studio, which is located down the hall. When she plays a video of the first song her son ever wrote, she begins to sing herself.
Mieke Clincy reported that Nehemiah had been teased at school for breaking into song. Even his siblings tease him occasionally. Nehemiah has Autism.
“My whole life, every school, every day care center, every babysitter — I have never not been called about something,” she told me.
Except here. Her son’s spontaneous personality brightens the day of the Music Resource Center staff. It helped him make his first genuine friends and got him invited to his first birthday party.
“He’s just a normal kid here,” his mother explained.
Now Nehemiah is sitting at a piano. He makes up a song on the spot.
“Let me try to find something,” he replied.
After a few seconds, another teen hits the drums.
“That’ll work,” Nehemiah said.
The center’s operations director plays bass. Nick Burke used to teach music at Cincinnati Public Schools and volunteered for several years before starting full-time.
“The magic that happens here is kids build community but also explore their passion for music,” Burke told me. “I don’t think there’s many places like that.”
It’s a possible solution for children who need a safe place to go after school, as we heard repeatedly during our Search for Solutions community discussions about teen violence. Membership here starts at $2 per month.
Nehemiah aspires to be a songwriter and audio engineer. He said that playing music helps him relax. It transports him to another world.
In a positive way.
He also stated that music helps him cope with the pain he has experienced. In one of the practice rooms, Nehemiah’s makeshift band completes their song. Nehemiah smiles. Burke shouts. Another teenager applauds.
“That was incredible,” he remarked. “I’m so glad you captured that.”
