Marcellus Barnes helps Asia Johnson practice their class mission statement before leading students in a choir lesson at Orchard Knob Middle School.As one decade-long tradition celebrating black history comes to an end, a new project is about to launch that will focus on teaching arts to inner-city youth.
“There’s a void between the arts and athletics,” said local musician Marcellus Barnes. “I just want to help fill that gap and give kids an opportunity to not just hang out at the rec center and watch everybody play basketball. They may be dancers. They may be musicians. They may be poets or creative writers. So I wanted to create Unity of Performing Arts to give those kids opportunity to shine, like the athletes, but in the arts.”
It was 10 years ago that Barnes performed his first “Sounds of Unity” concert in recognition of Black History Month, an event that has brought blacks and whites together to sing. The annual concert recognizes community leaders like the Rev. Paul McDaniel and civic activist Franklin McCallie, who will be honored this year.
Barnes, an artist-in-residence with Hamilton County Schools, is hosting the final celebration at 6 p.m. Feb. 27 at Abba’s House church in Hixson. Proceeds from the concert will fund Barnes’ Unity Performing Arts Foundation of Chattanooga, a nonprofit he hopes to start in area youth centers in March.
The goal of the program is to keep youth out of gangs and away from negative influences by encouraging them to explore their talents in the arts.
“I’m going into the schools finding little Marcelluses that are probably at risk like I was, hanging around the wrong crowd,” he said.
He will charge youth $300 a year to participate, but use projects like the “Sounds of Unity” concert to offset the cost so low-income youth can participate for free or at a reduced rate.
“This is my passion. So whether I get a check or not, I’m going to do it,” he said.
Starting in March, Barnes plans to teach youth choir at Washington Hills Youth and Family Development Center on Tuesdays, Carver Center on Wednesdays, and at the Avondale Center on Thursdays. He will meet at the centers from 4:30-6 p.m.
He wants to get about 30 youth at each center participating in the Unity Performing Arts Foundation.
Barnes knows firsthand how the arts can keep youth out of trouble, because they helped him. He sometimes associated with the wrong crowd, but he excelled in music and that kept him away from negative influences.
“One thing that saved my life was the arts,” said Barnes, the first in his family of seven brothers and sisters to attend college. “I found I could play piano, and so my friends thought I was super-cool.”
He wants to provide that same opportunity for other youth.
Contact Yolanda Putman at yputman@timesfreepress.com or 757-6431.