The Arts and Music Programs for Education in Detention Centers (AMPED) is a music mentorship program that connects Northwestern students with incarcerated young men at the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center. Through detailed lessons, one-on-one instruction, and supplementary programming, AMPED creates opportunities for shared learning and authentic relationships.
AMPED is a yearlong program that begins with a comprehensive mentor training program in the fall. Under the guidance of Dr. Maud Hickey of the Bienen School of Music, Northwestern 
students learn basic music composition and GarageBand techniques. Recognizing the importance of relationship building, mentors also discuss youth development frameworks and strategies for connecting with the population of focus. Together, these trainings ensure that Northwestern students enter the classroom with the knowledge and skills necessary to provide one-on-one attention and support to the young men in the program.
Composition classes and practice sessions begin in January and continue throughout the winter quarter, concluding with a “listening party” for students to share the work they composed and produced. JTDC students’ families and friends, as well as AMPED supporters, are invited to attend. A new cohort is chosen in the spring, and the proces is repeated.
Get Involved
A team of Northwestern undergraduate students is selected each year to work with the residents at the JTDC. Beyond assisting with music composition projects, mentors build trusting relationships with JTDC students in an effort to help them process and communicate their experiences in a way that heals and empowers. While classical training or previous composition experience is not required, mentors must be passionate about the role of music in youth development. Most importantly, mentors must view this as a mutually beneficial opportunity and be open to learning and growing themselves.
