SUMMERSIDE, P.E.I. — Aspiring young performers will soon have a new program to help them find their creative voices.
Singer-songwriter Trinity Bradshaw recently began working at the Boys and Girls Club of Summerside as a full-time youth music program director.
She wants to not only to build a music school but to mentor kids who have a passion for playing instruments, singing or songwriting.
“I wish I had a mentor when I was growing up just to tell me ‘stop being so hard on yourself’,” said Bradshaw. “I know that I can help other youth that may struggle with those things too.”
Bradshaw struggled with confidence as a kid; she still does. Anxiety and depression, she said, are things she has to overcome every day.
She looks forward to giving young people the opportunity and confidence to explore their musical abilities, helping give them an outlet to express themselves.
Bradshaw spent the last 10 years in Calgary, working on her music. Then, her career began slowing down. She stopped touring and stuck to playing in Calgary bars and recording music.
She had a daughter in August 2019 and moved back to Summerside this past June.
“I missed my family, I missed my home, and I missed everything about it."
Bradshaw was on maternity leave at the time but didn’t have a plan for what to do after. She was a server and a bartender while performing but decided she didn’t want to continue that path.
“I thought that I should take all of my musical knowledge, what I’ve learned… I have so much that I can show youth and other aspiring artists like myself,” she said.
In mid-October, she got in touch with Adam Binkley, executive director of the local Boys and Girls Club, and told him she wanted to create a music school.
“I wanted everything done right now. I said, ‘Adam, I can get all of these musicians in to teach the kids.’ I came in with a big bang,” Bradshaw said. “Then Adam said, ‘I could try my best to get you a position at the club where you can start slowly building the music school and integrating music into the programs that we currently have.’ And I just jumped on it.”
Binkley then got in contact with Skills PEI and organized a grant program to get Bradshaw on board.
“I thought I was one of the luckiest executive directors of Boys and Girls Clubs in Canada to have Trinity come back,” Binkley said.
As children, Bradshaw and her sisters were members of the club. While there, Bradshaw had even started her own girl band and hosted karaoke nights when she was around 10 years old.
Even though she’s only been at the centre a few weeks, Bradshaw already has big plans in mind for the program.
She’s looking to paint the white studio turquoise and have the kids pick out records to put on the walls. She’s going to soundproof the room. She’s even going to change the name of the studio – which is currently called the Trinity Bradshaw Music Studio.
“It will be a legit recording studio when we’re done with it,” Bradshaw said.
Bradshaw and Binkley also hope to use Bradshaw’s network to get big-name Canadian artists involved as well, having them live-stream lessons for the kids.
Music was a big part of Bradshaw's life while she was growing up.
“It was just something that made me feel good,” she said. “I was writing songs at a very early age. It got me through the bullying, it got me through all of the hard times.”
Binkley agrees that the program will be a “huge outlet” for youth at the centre.
“It’s hard to get the youth to communicate,” he said. “But all of a sudden, when they’re in the music studio, they’re able to express themselves and their feelings through songwriting, music and playing instruments."
Kristin Gardiner is the rural reporter for the Journal Pioneer.
