COMMUNITY PROFILE PAGE TITLE DONATE YOUR CAR! Need to get rid of your car, truck, or motorcycle? Consider donating it to Denver VOICE. Call (855) 500-7433, or go to: careasy.org/nonprofi t/denver-voice. Your donation helps Denver VOICE succeed in its mission to provide individuals experiencing homelessness or poverty the chance towards a more stable life. COURTESY OF OREN BREGMAN, MOBILE STUDIO “Being able to make music, specifically hip-hop and rap, is so refreshing to them,” Bregman said. “They don’t want to play the trombone, they want to do this.” According to Bregman, outside of the cost of equipment, hiphop can be an easily accessible art form. “You don’t need classical training, you don’t need a grand piano or a teacher,” Bregman said. “If you know how to count the beat, you can teach yourself.” He also noted how hip-hop, a historically Black art form, can be an empowering form of self-expression for the teens he works with, many of whom are Black or Latino. Bregman recalled being moved by a song that one of his pupils wrote about the Black Lives Matter movement, calling this a “magical” moment to witness. According to Bregman, the genre itself innately draws passion and truth from its creators. It gives students an outlet to speak out loud on things that are personal to them — to let their voices be heard through an exciting musical platform. He also said that hip-hop’s historically supportive culture allows this free expression in a tolerant environment. Bregman said his favorite part of the job is witnessing the kids he works with discover their passions for music. “For me, [a milestone] is the first time somebody creates their own song and hears it and thinks, ‘Wow, that’s me,’” Bregman said. He works to foster the creativity, leadership, and communication that students find through collaboration with one another. “Over time, you just see their confidence grow: They know how to record, they know how to make music collaboratively, [which is] really impressive,” he said. According to Bregman, when it comes to the future of Mobile Studio, he is thinking big: “Getting more equipment, going to more schools, maybe we’ll get another vehicle.” As the long-time sole employee, he’s also looking to bring more staff aboard. “It starts with growing our capacity,” Bregman said. “I’ve been doing this myself for a couple years now, and although it’s been really successful, [hiring] would be the next step.” Mobile Studio is currently in the process of revamping its website and social media profiles, and Bregman said he plans to capitalize on the momentum that Mobile Studio has generated so far. “Who knows? Maybe one day you’ll see Mobile Studio all over the country.” ■ To learn more about Mobile Studio, donate to the organization, or find out about upcoming events, visit https://mobile-studio-inc.org. VOLUNTEER WITH US! We are looking for volunteers to support our program coordination by helping with paper distribution and basic offi ce administration at the Denver VOICE offi ce (989 Santa Fe Dr.) from 9 a.m. - 1 p.m. If you are interested and would like to know more, contact us at: program@denvervoice.org COURTESY OF OREN BREGMAN, MOBILE STUDIO September 2023 DENVER VOICE 11 The Denver VOICE empowers homeless, impoverished, and transient individuals by creating job opportunities through our vendor program. We facilitate a dialogue addressing the roots of homelessness by telling stories of people whose lives are impacted by poverty and homelessness and to offer economic, educational, and empowerment opportunities for the impoverished community.
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