MUSIC HELPS YOUNG TALENT TUNE IN TO BETTER LIFE
GOLD Coast student Douglas Hynes has gone from a low ebb of his life to planning to become Stevie Wonder’s bassist in just a few short years.
But before he can do that he has to make it through his band’s performance at this week’s Blues on Broadbeach.
The now 16-year-old transferred to Nerang State High from Mudgeeraba in Year 8 to join the music program, at the time suffering from severe depression.
“I had a rough patch where I was on the verge of suicidal thoughts, but music has helped me heaps – I pretty much found a new life,” he said.
“I remember listening to this song by Stevie Wonder, he said ‘music is a language we all understand, but no one really knows what it’s saying’.
“To me, it’s just a new way of communicating with people and expressing how I feel. I think without it I would have dropped out by now. Music has reined me back into the life I want to live.”
Douglas is now snare captain of the school’s drumline and both sings and plays bass in their Funk Band, part of Friday’s School Yard Blues performance.
With the end of school fast approaching, Douglas plans to turn his love of music into a career.
“That’s the end game for me but I know there’s a lot of stepping stones to that,” he said. “I would like to become Stevie Wonder’s bass player – that would be pretty crazy.”
Music teacher Dean Harawira has seen the change in Douglas first-hand.
“Over the last few years he’s really knuckled into everything to do with Funk Band and Drumline,” he said.
“His whole life has changed. He’s basically gone from having very low self esteem to being a straight-A student.”
Nerang State High has partnered with Griffith University to deliver this week’s performance, with schools from across the Coast to perform at the festival.
The event’s master of ceremonies, Griffith’s Christopher Klopper, said the idea was to showcase the Coast’s young musicians.
“The benefit is exposure to performing live during an ongoing festival,” he said.
Griffith University’s School Yard Blues will perform at Blues on Broadbeach on Friday from 9am-1pm.