Madison Murray has been writing and performing rap since he was nine.
Showcasing his skills inside the new Uniacke Square Sound Studio on Wednesday afternoon, the 22-year-old local resident wondered where he might be today had a program like this been around when he was younger.
“Nowadays the young people that are just coming up and wanting to rap … I think that if this establishment is here and they work together and do things then they can go somewhere — no doubt,” said Murray, a rapper with aspirations of making a career out of it.
The Communities and Uniacke Square Engaging (C.A.U.S.E.) organization and Halifax Regional Police have partnered together to create this music studio on Uniacke Street. The volunteer-based project provides a place for youth within the Uniacke Square community who are interested in singing, rapping, poetry and the recording aspect of music to go and practise their talents.
The Halifax Housing Authority provided the space for the studio, which includes several rooms of recording equipment.
C.A.U.S.E. president Donna Nelligan said a lot of time and effort went into getting this project off the ground.
“We went out and we talked to the youth in the community, asking them what they would like to see, what would support them in engaging in positive things,” she said. “And this is one of the things they identified.”
Uniacke Square community response officer Const. Holly Thomas has worked closely with C.A.U.S.E. to ensure the studio will be a good thing for the area.
“It will give the kids in the area a positive space to be, to express themselves,” Thomas said.
During Wednesday’s official launch, many kids from around the community visited the studio for the first time. And while many were too shy to showcase their musical abilities, it seemed to come off as a hit.
“It will give kids a chance to get their talents out there,” said Lindell Smith, the audio-engineer for the studio. “Not just record, but to gather skills like how equipment works and how to actually write better — stuff like that.”
