North Chicago HS Workshop Students

Photos of the first group of CounterPoint Music & Life Workshop students from North Chicago High School. What a great group of talented young individuals that I enjoy working with every Monday.

CounterPoint Workshop Featured On ABC7 Chicago's New "Heart & Soul" Show

Mark your calendars: ABC7 will feature Counterpoint's ® Music & Life Program on the station's new television show "Heart & Soul", airing on December 19th, 2009! Tune in @ 6pm, and again on December 20th, 2009 @ 12 noon to get an inside look at this phenomenal after school program that is not only producing positive young people in entertainment, but more importantly, positive members of society.

The program takes high school students with non-conventional interests in music (aspiring rappers, poets, singers, DJs, etc) through an 8-week program that teaches them how to Counter the negative influences of urban music culture and exercise their talents in positive and productive ways.

The program entails a powerful 8-wk classroom curriculum, instruction/guidance from industry artists/musicians, an intense, post-workshop mentorship component that connects the students with performance opportunities, a network of other students across schools with the same passion for music, and puts them in contact with other programs also critical to their personal/professional development as young adults."When you allow teenagers to follow their passion and support them by providing the proper tools, love and guidance to succeed, the opportunities are endless..." says Morris Brent, Founder/Creator of CounterPoint's ® Music & Life program. "A child should never be told that he or she can't be a rapper, singer or producer, etc...because when you discourage their dreams, not only do you dampen their souls, but you also damage their confidence, self-esteem and ability to reach their full potential as human beings." Morris believes the fact that CounterPoint was selected to be featured in Heart & Soul's debut show says volumes about the program. "There are many outstanding programs out here, so we are extremely excited and thankful for the opportunity to reach more communities, schools and ultimately more youth. Turn on any news program, take a walk through the neighborhoods, talk to the young adults themselves and you'll see that there's so much more to be done. There are so many complex issues contributing to the tragic conditions we're facing involving our youth, but the only option is success."

But CounterPoint® goes beyond the music. Students enjoy learning and developing themselves as future artists and entertainers, but they are also required to improve in either attendance, behavior or academics; underlying the programs' support of the school and its path of success for the teenager.

The Very First Post...

It is truly amazing how far we've come in such a short amount of time. After almost a year of planning, design and endless behind the scenes work, we are humbly proud to have officially launched the workshop at North Chicago Community High School.

So many minds of family and friends, all came together to create what we believe to be a solid, ground-breaking program. As with all things, nothing comes easy...but I knew that as long as our hearts and intentions were pure, that we would soon be able to do our part in helping to steer the lives our young adults who were passionate about music.

But now the real work begins and we couldn't be more excited. A big THANK YOU and CONGRATULATIONS to all of the key players and program advisors, and to all who will now join the movement and embark on this journey with us.

Morris Brent
Founder/Creator,
CounterPoint Music & Life Workshop For High School Teens