Strumming Forward
Strumming Forward kicked off in 2015 when a group of young adults across Grey-Bruce were offered the opportunity to learn how to play guitar during FREE lessons taught by local volunteers.
A grant from the Community Foundation Grey Bruce helped make this possible, allowing the YMCA of Owen Sound Grey Bruce – Youth in Transition Worker (YITW) program to purchase guitars for youth to learn on and continue to program to this day.
Strumming Forward was started after youth involved in the YITW program expressed great interest in learning guitar but did not have the resources to pay for lessons. The Youth Outreach Worker saw Strumming Forward as a way for young adults to learn a new skill, express creativity through music and build self-confidence while demonstrating accountability and responsibility.
This program is no longer active, but we’re proud of the difference it made—and we’re happy to share it as part of our story.
The instructor was patient, kind and approachable. The group was small and comfortable. The skill-level of the group was pretty equal so it was not intimidating.
