A Song About Youth Homelessness
A song that highlights the problem of youth homelessness in America.
While doing research for my policy brief on homelessness and mental illness in California, I saw a statistic that left me speechless: 40-50% of youth in foster care become homeless within a year and a half of emancipation. I’ve since dug deeper into the numbers and found that there’s not so clear a consensus, but that doesn’t make foster children aging into homelessness any less of an important issue.
Artist
Michael Yin (2020)
Artist Lens
I knew I wanted to write a song about the problem, and inspiration struck when I watched a video about Jacob, a 21-year-old in that exact situation. What struck me most was his compassion: his thoughtfulness for others in need went straight into the chorus of the song. I chose to write music because it’s often lyrics and melodies that remain in my head at night. Music is universal, and for a problem so urgent, I wanted to offer a glimpse into Jacob’s story to as many people as I could.
Media
Musical Composition