What `Respect’ Means to Boys & Girls Club’s Kids

By TENLEY WOODMAN

Who needs P. Diddy? The Boston Boys & Girls Club made its own band.

Members from the South Boston and Blue Hills clubhouses have teamed with youths from Sociedad Latina to record Aretha Franklin’s classic “Respect.”

The project requires the young participants to do all their own singing, playing and sound mixing. The opportunity grew out of the Boys & Girls Club’s 2-year-old music studio program.

“It’s not high school band,” said Blue Hills music director Rick Aggeler.

Aggeler created the clubs’ music studios as a final project for graduation from Berklee College of Music.

Now, along with fellow Berklee College alum and South Boston club music director Daniel Tortoledo, they mentor kids who would not normally have access to music lessons.

“It’s like `Making the Band.’ We make songs up on the guitar and he breaks us down into the prodcution group and percussions group,” said Tyrik Turner, 11, bass player and Blue Hills club member.

Girls from the South Boston club will record the vocal, guitar and tambourine tracks today at Soceidad Latina.

Originally published by By TENLEY WOODMAN.

(c) 2008 Boston Herald. Provided by ProQuest Information and Learning. All rights Reserved.