Now that the weather’s warming up, it’s time to start hitting up free activities. Better yet, choose ones where you can sneak some learning in on the side. That’s what Zumix has in mind for this Friday.
The East Boston nonprofit organization helps support, uplift, and challenge its community through music and the arts with an afterschool program that gives local students the chance to get a hands-on experience in music. That means everything, including learning how to play guitar, creating their own FM radio show, stepping behind the mixing board, writing their own songs, and brushing off their singing skills. It’s as perfect as it sounds.
Three of the organization’s Rock-Ed groups—Vanisha Theory, Four Eyes, and Kitty Advocates—will perform live covers to celebrate the end of the semester. While it’s easy to brush off students performing as the type of smile-through-your-teeth event parents attend simply to cheer on their kids, trust us when we say Zumix takes things to the next level. Its Rock-Ed programs push students to perform with the confidence, skills, and timing of a local band you’d catch headlining Great Scott or battling it out at the Rock ’n’ Roll Rumble. In fact, don’t be surprised if you see any of the three bands performing at it next year. Headlining the evening will be Boston act Old Wave. It’s an early show, with doors opening at 5:30 pm, at Zumix’s building in East Boston. To encourage inspiration and to spark interest in starting your own band, Zumix is throwing the event for free to all.
That’s not the only reason why its Rock-Ed Night is so special. Zumix is partnering with four local organizations to bring a different type of learning experience to the event.
Planned Parenthood will have a booth at the event to offer factual information about reproductive health care, sex education, and more. The nonprofit organization helps educate about everything imaginable, from which birth control is best for individuals to the proper way to check for cancers.
Next to it will be a booth of professionals from the New England Aquarium. As climate change continues to become a grave issue, our local aquarium hopes to illustrate the importance of conserving marine life and the ocean before it’s too late. Its advocating gets lost in the shuffle of day-to-day life but, as it makes very clear, is just as important as other topical discussions. Who knows, it may even tell you how to score free tickets to the aquarium (some fables are real!).
Boston-based organization City Life / Vida Urbana will also be present at the event. The local org is committed to fighting for racial, social, and economic justice and gender equality by building working-class power. Funny, that almost sounds like the type of work our readers are constantly trying to get involved in. If you haven’t heard of City Life/Vida Urbana before, head to Zumix’s event to have face-to-face conversations about its work and how you can get involved.
Finally, there’s Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC), the group dedicated to ending sexual violence through healing and social change. For over four decades, BARCC has been helping victims in the area grow to be survivors, continuing the fight for justice, and offering the resources needed for those impacted directly or secondhand by abuse or rape. At a time when our world seems increasingly filled with that type of assault, having safe places nearby to turn to for guidance are more crucial than ever.
The goal of all of this? Help educate attendees about the various resources available in the community that support them. These places are available for you to tap into when you need to. With easy access, friendly staff members, and plenty of information on hand, their booths at the event will keep you updated and informed at a time when fighting for truth and preserving what’s just is more important than ever.
All of these things combined plus the free dollar tag almost makes you wonder why you thought about doing anything else Friday night. After all, it’s simple math. That’s a lesson you don’t need us or Zumix to teach you.
OLD WAVE, VANISHA THEORY, FOUR EYES, KITTY ADVOCATES. FRI 5.19. ZUMIX, 260 SUMNER ST., BOSTON. 5:30PM/ALL AGES/FREE. ZUMIX.ORG
