On Monday, March 13, students from UCLA’s SLAM! program got together in our school’s cafeteria for a mini showcase. The student performers who participated in this program gathered after school to practice for a few minutes before presenting their newly gained skills to the audience awaiting them. These students came from each of the program’s classes: voice, drums, guitar, piano, and band. Students from all the classes performed a variety of songs including “Somebody That I Used to Know” by Goyte and Kimbra, “Rumor Has It” by Adele, “Oye Como Va” by Santana, and many more. While the performers practiced their songs, parents and other students settled in the cafeteria and waited for the showcase to begin.

SLAM!’s goal is to teach students of different ages to play instruments or sing. It is a great opportunity to have fun while learning a new instrument, toning your voice, or even increasing your musical talents. SLAM! volunteers are students who are actively attending UCLA. They come to HMSA to teach a class every Monday from 3:15 to 4:30. The program provides all participating students with the instruments needed to take the class, making this opportunity accessible to all students willing to join. 

For the past couple of weeks, before the showcase, UCLA SLAM! manager Scott Johnson kept everyone in check and made sure both the students and music teachers were adequately preparing. He would show up for a few minutes almost every class to keep an eye on the students’ progress.

This school year was my first time attending SLAM! classes and I absolutely enjoyed my time there. I chose to take guitar classes, and the teachers for that quarter were UCLA students Kyle F. and Brandon C. Their positive attitudes maintained a relaxed and pleasant vibe throughout the room for the entire quarter. The teachers in this program are very helpful and easily accessible, which allows students to grow more confident to ask for help.

SLAM! continues its classes every quarter, so there will be more opportunities for students to learn something new and have fun while doing so. Oh, and did I mention the classes are free? There is absolutely nothing to lose. To see more information about SLAM! and its background information, go to http://www.slamprogram.org/ or keep an eye out for SLAM! booths after school at the beginning of each quarter. Take a few minutes to think about which class you would like to take, and hope to see you there next time!