Community Corner

LCC Teens Brings Music to Leprosy-Affected Children in India

Siblings Noah and Jenna Lizerbram who both attend La Costa Canyon High School recently brought 300 musical instruments to 220 leprosy-affected children in India.

Carlsbad siblings Noah and Jenna Lizerbram are the founders of YouthJamz, a San Diego based 501c3 non-profit organization of youth helping youth through music.

Noah is a senior at LCC and Jenna is a junior.

"We believe that music is healing, and our mission is to partner with organizations that aid at-risk children, but do not yet offer music. Since 2010, YouthJamz has raised over $10,000 for music programs for approximately 800 children in San Diego, India and the Congo," wrote Noah in a press release.

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Last year their organization put on a concert that raised enough money for them to travel to India with over 300 instruments to establish a music program for 220 leprosy-affected children at the Rising Star Peery School.

Noah wrote the following to Carlsbad Patch about his experience helping children in India:

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Before arriving in India, I knew that I was in for an adventure, but nothing could prepare me for the incredible, life-changing journey that I was about to embark on.

The children were simply amazing.I have never before seen more energetic, playful, determined, or loving children in my life. The first little boy I met, Veera, sprinted up to me as soon as I arrived with my family and asked me with wide eyes, “Uncle?” I responded with a nod and a smile, and he instantly lit up, grabbing my hand and dragging me over to the playground to play tag. From that point on, I knew that the school was a home for me.

As soon as we told the kids that we had brought them musical instruments, they were ecstatic. I guess that the dream of being a rock star is universal! My sister, Jenna, and I started off our music program by teaching each of the grade levels basic recorder lessons, which turned out to be the loudest and funniest sight I have ever seen. Although the youngest groups’ lessons only resulted in a cacophony of sound, the older kids were incredibly intelligent and picked up playing the instruments really quickly! We even had the chance to give some of the oldest students guitar, piano, and drum lessons, with the hopes of having them then teach the younger kids.

One of the oldest boys, Deepinraj, insisted on having me teach him how to play a full drum kit instead of only bongos, and after a couple hours of instruction, he was playing “Back in Black” as if he had known it for years! I just recently sent him a beginner drum lesson book and I will be making him a drum lesson DVD so that he can continue learning and loving music. After seeing the joy we brought to the kids with the instruments, I have high hopes for the music program at Rising Star.

After falling in love with the kids at the school and the country of India itself, I started to sponsor one of the boys I became friends with, Saranraj, and hope to visit again as soon as I can!

I’m excited to say that we will be using the proceeds from our 2013 benefit concert to continue supporting Rising Star. We also will be starting music programs like the one in India for kids affected by abuse and neglect in San Diego, through Casa de Amparo and for kids affected by war in Congo, through the CAMME center. 

This year’s concert will be on May 19th at the Del Mar Fairgrounds and should be our biggest one yet! The Maine, The Ready Set, Night Riots, Tomorrows Bad Seeds, and The Mid-Summer Classic will be performing and tickets are only $25 at Ticketmaster. We would love to have support from anyone in the San Diego area. If you can’t make it to the event, it would be amazing if you could donate to the cause at crowdrise.com/youthjamz.

Working with Rising Star has been the greatest adventure of my life.The kids in India truly changed my life and now I hope that we can help change the lives of many more with the gift of music.


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