Remember being young and impressionable. Remember trying to find where you fit in. Remember following trends to gain the acceptance of your peers. The basis of sociology is that we as human beings seek the acceptance of others in some form.[1] Just like notes on a page, or shell casings at the scene of a crime, humans are never found alone.

Everyone did something when they were younger that seems stupid or embarrassing in hindsight. Looking at the scrapbooks of people’s lives will show things like parachute pants and frosted tips on a future lawyer. Perhaps that doctor used to wear black nail polish and heavy eyeliner. That inmate showed up to middle school wearing the same color as his friends, with sagging pants, and failing grades, because it is not easy for everyone to fit in. Some people have a creature inside of them that will never be silenced. That creature cannot be forgotten, fought, or forged. That creature is creativity. When a person is creative it will show in one way or another. Sometimes creative types do not do well in a traditional school setting. Teachers may only see the rebelliousness that is given off from that creature desperately trying to escape.[2]

That middle school student with the sagging pants could have been a wonderful saxophone player, and the middle school student locked in the band room with their flute could have done a great job wearing the right colors and getting the right grades. Their roles could so easily be switched because they both come from a place of creativity. Both of these students longed for self-expression and found ways to get it. But what brought these two to where they ended up?

Confidence can make a world of difference to people. Gaining mentors and supporters who can offer advice, encouragement, or constructive criticism, can change what subculture someone is in.[3] Maybe one of these students felt the need to join a gang because they did not believe they could do anything else. Maybe one of these students was encouraged more to see their own potential. Maybe if one of these students had a teacher who noticed them not doing well in school, not trying as hard as they should, or just running with the wrong crowd, things would be different. Maybe this student would have found that their fingers were meant to push the keys of a piano into the beginning of a lifelong career, not pull the trigger into the beginning of a lifelong sentence. Maybe if one of these students never found music or had the confidence to play, things would be different. Maybe this student never would have seen that they have a constructive way to express themselves and they would have ended up the same as the first student.

Another big thing that contributes to whether or not people end up in music or in a gang is where they come from. Some people feel the need to join a gang to survive. There are places that push music more than others and these places end up with more musicians than gangs. If there are teachers that are passionate about music and really love what they do they will find the students and pull them out of their colors. They will make sure that these kids are living harmoniously with the people around them. Funding the arts programs in schools will make the arts more prevalent and the gangs less prevalent. People will put down their guns and pick up instruments if the option is there for them. Some people feel that there is no option for them because they live in a bad area and they must put themselves in a certain subculture that might not be right for them. Some people are hungry for another option. Some people wish every day that they could fight or forget that creature that has made its home inside of them so they would not have to make a home with a family of trouble and pain.

Think about the people around you and think about what they could have done differently to be a different person. Think about the struggles they may have gone through to get to where they are and remember that there are people who you may see as hoodlums who wanted something more. Look at people who are artists and think about what could have become of them and realize how lucky they are. Remember that people do not always decide what subculture they belong to. Sometimes people are forced into a subculture because of where they come from or what they had. Sometimes people are put at a disadvantage already then they make the choices that really make them who they are. Remember the choices you made in your youth and think about how they affected who you are today. Remember being young and impressionable.

[1] Dr. Tim Clydesdale Interview

[2] Ibid

[3] Ibid