The DIY (Do It Yourself) Mentality Isn't Just for Punk Rock, Schools Need it Too!
By, Michael Earnshaw
June 27, 2019
@mearnshaw158
Growing up as a teenager in the 90’s I loved watching young up and coming bands get some momentum going behind them and their message. I was never fortunate enough to be a member of a band myself, but I did get to see many of my friends, and friends of friends, get some notoriety behind their passion. This was all done with a DIY mentality – Do It Yourself.
The internet was a newborn baby in the early 90’s and many families weren’t yet blessed with the wonderful cries of dial-up internet. Today, young bands can record a song in their garage and in seconds post it to numerous free music sites to be heard by millions across the world. Bands can DM a promoter or club owner, get a gig, and get rolling with what they love doing, playing music. I’m not bashing or jealous of the help that technology gives today’s musicians, I think it’s great and have discovered so many new bands daily because of it. But when I was just getting into the scene, there was more grunt work to be done.
While growing up, young band members needed jobs. The money they earned would help them to book a local recording studio, usually in another, more elder, local band’s garage or basement. They would then record a cassette demo. A little later into the 90’s it became CDs. The beauty of cassettes and CDs was that it was only immediately heard by the individual possessing it. I remember so many mornings getting woken up by the ringing, and flashing, of my see through, corded, hardwired phone.
“Dude, you have to hear this demo I picked up last night!”
“Who is it? I’ve never heard of them? Where are they from? Who do they sound like?”
“Dude, you just have to hear it!”
“Come pick me up, I'll be ready in 15.”
Once I ran out to my buddy's non-air conditioned, blue Corsica with the ceiling melting towards our liberty spikes from the heat, no words would be spoken. His finger would slowly creep towards the “Play” button, resembling that of E.T. while my face was a mirror image of Elliot as the music began. I would listen, look over the hand drawn artwork provided as a sheath to protect the cassette, and then say, “Luke has to hear this!”
That was how the beauty of music was shared once a young punk got their hands on a demo. Bands would set up tables, full of their homemade swag, promoting themselves and hoping someone would pick up their passion project. Bands would walk the streets surrounding local venues, plastering homemade flyers and stickers, hoping to catch the curious eye of those lining up to see their favorite bands. If a band wanted to get their name out past the boundaries of their hometown, they needed to put in the work and do it themselves. Self-promotion, sacrifice, and the drive to reach their goal no matter what. If they wanted to play shows in a state or two over, they made it happen by calling promoters, other bands they’ve befriended, and through word of mouth from fans.
I’ve always respected and admired the DIY ethic of local bands pursuing their dreams. It was always obvious of which bands were “All in” and those that just had hopes and dreams with lack of an action plan behind how they would reach their goal. Comparing these two approaches got me thinking as to why schools need to adopt the DIY philosophy to what is in their control.
The State is not going to save our schools with funding. Local government is not going to save our schools with tax revenues. District Office is not going to spend the budget on the essential items and initiatives us “in the trenches” ask for, knowing in our hearts that it will benefit kids. The above three entities all have one goal in common: saving money. Punk rock has never been about becoming a millionaire. Neither has the world of education.
Now is the time for schools and classrooms to take the DIY philosophy and get in place what we know is going to make our kids better, not just now, but for theirs, and our future. This is where many of us will have to get outside of our comfort zones and become creative with what we currently have available to us. Look around your classroom, your home, your parents’ home, garage sales, thrift stores, the $1 section at Target. Can you take some of these old, washed up items and bring them to life in your classroom? Better yet, could your students bring them to life and spend a day learning? I’m not a gambling man, but I would put money down that if you begin to think outside of the box and take a look around (thanks Sick of it All!) you would find enough items that could fill your 180 days of rigorous instruction. Not only would your students spend time learning creatively, hands-on, and collaboratively, the air would be filled with smiles and laughter, which is never a bad thing while expanding the brain.
Another approach to bringing the DIY philosophy into your school or classroom is to talk with your colleagues. Take advantage of social media, much like today’s bands, and put out a post of what you’re looking for. Believe it or not, people love to donate their time, materials, and funds. It’s part of the PMA effect. Random acts of kindness bring joy to the one providing the act, sometimes more so than the receiver. If word of mouth and social media postings don’t provide what you’re looking for, start a campaign with something legit, like Donor’s Choose.
As educators, if we sit back and wait for those controlling the funds to provide what our students truly need in this moment, what are students need for relevant, rigorous, real-life, collaborative learning, you might as well begin counting the stars. With the DIY philosophy in place in our schools and classrooms, educators will not be able to get everything they feel they need, but there’s a good chance they will obtain what is best for our students by putting in the footwork and collaborating with those around them and in their PLN.
