Doug Gay, Baton Rouge Music Studios

As owner and director of programs for Baton Rouge Music Studios, Doug Gay has been a mentor, bandleader, teacher and creative sage to hundreds of local teens and budding musicians. He shares with 225 his thoughts on the importance of positive influence.

We understand that many of our students will not pursue careers in music, so the question we ask ourselves is, “What can we do to prepare them for any career they choose?” Communication and leadership skills are vital to success.

I recently mentored a senior at Baton Rouge High School, D’Netria Bledsoe, for her senior project. She wanted to hold a concert to raise funds for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital. I helped her secure a date and a stage and promote the event. The Studios took on legal responsibility, insurance costs and sound equipment and services. D’Netria did the rest. She raised $2,000 for St. Jude, received an A+ on her project, and most importantly, she accomplished something she can be proud ofâan event that had a direct, positive impact on her community.

You can’t fake being a mentor. Things like making time for your students beyond the classroom, giving up your weekends for them, genuinely listening to them when they confide in you or come to you with a problem, building them up with encouragement, holding them accountable when they are expected to perform tasks and follow through.

An awareness of how almost every decision you make, good or bad, can potentially affect young people who look up to you is absolutely essential to all who put themselves in a mentoring role.

Everyone, regardless of money, race or social status needs different people in their lives who all serve a unified purpose of helping that person be complete. No matter what particular piece of the whole a mentor is to a person, for mentorship to be effective, love must be present and actions must constantly back up words spoken and promises made.

I’ve had many people in my life mentor me in many ways, but none so completely as my mom. The biggest lesson I’ve learned from her is probably my views that I’ve just expressed on mentorship. It is a lifestyle, not a hobby. It’s not even really a choice. It’s this nagging duty that will haunt you if you try to ignore it.