Aidan Young
Creative Arts Director
Whats the first word that comes to your mind when you hear New Jersey? Its nature, right? No? How about music? Well, Aidans story started in the musical wilderness of New Jersey in 1983. His father, Jon Young, was an avid bluegrass musician, and also on his way to becoming one of the international leaders in nature education and mentoring. So Aidan was snow camping as an infant and by the age of 11 he had visited the wild places of 35 States and learned over 100 songs, through singing, and playing the mandolin and guitar. Aidan also played baseball with a passion bordering on obsession and hes a diehard fan to this day.
Being home-schooled, I would get my homework out of the way in a few hours and spend my days pitching in the yard, exploring the creek in my back yard, or playing Beatles songs. I had a passion for learning that drove me to exhaust every resource I could find. I wanted to know it all, do it all. I remember my dad buying me The Complete Beatles, two music books that contained all 250+ Beatles songs. I learned the chords of every song and it was only years later, after working with a guitar teacher, that I realized what I had done. I had taught myself music theory. My dad knew exactly what he was doing. He constantly tricked me into learning things I would have rejected if presented directly.
In 1995, Aidan moved to Seattle and attended Puget Sound Community School (pscs.org) for 3 years. PSCS is a school designed around responsibility and community involvement. Students chose their own classes and schedule, participated in apprenticeships, taught classes on their favorite subjects, and volunteered in various community service projects. Aidans education continued into high school at the Wilderness Awareness Community School, where the classroom was a traditional shelter with a dirt floor and the morning started with lighting a fire without matches. During that time, Aidan completed an independent study project that included an in-depth study of over 300 different species, and a year-long field study of one natural site.
Music was always a constant; Aidan began studying different genres during his teenage years and developed an extensive music repertoire. At the age of 15, he began writing original music and performed at various restaurants and coffee houses. His original work related well to students of nature and he was often asked to perform at workshops.
Aidans professional experience began in 1999 as an instructor for the Tracker Schools Coyote Tracks program. Wilderness Awareness School hired Aidan as an instructor in early 2000, working with youth and adults, through hands-on programs and correspondence courses. In 2001, Aidan moved back to New Jersey and started a wildly successful nature program for home-schooled students while finishing up his high school years.
Aidan first visited the Riekes Center in 1997, working as an assistant instructor during a workshop held at the Riekes Field Station. Over the next few years he visited the Riekes Center regularly, working with Jimmy Noriega on pitching mechanics and jamming with Gary. In 2002, Gary invited Aidan to work at the Riekes Center, so he packed up his belongings, stuffed them in the back of a Subaru and drove 3000 miles to sunny California.
Since 2002, Aidan has participated as a student and instructor in all of the Riekes Centers departments. He began learning the ins and outs of taking someone through a workout, photographing events for the centers wall art, taking students camping, editing sports highlight videos, and teaching guitar lessons. Hes privileged to study guitar and voice with John Jordan, work out regularly, and instruct for the Pre-Teen Nature Studies program.
Today, Aidan teaches private lessons and group music classes to over 75 students on a regular basis. Hes been the Creative Arts Director since June of 2005.
My favorite thing about Creative Arts at the Riekes Center is the opportunity students get to take what theyve learned and use it in a real environment. If you want to see what its like to experience joy through Creative Arts, come to a recital and see the students that are performing their favorite songs in a concert or showing their movie.
Being home-schooled, I would get my homework out of the way in a few hours and spend my days pitching in the yard, exploring the creek in my back yard, or playing Beatles songs. I had a passion for learning that drove me to exhaust every resource I could find. I wanted to know it all, do it all. I remember my dad buying me The Complete Beatles, two music books that contained all 250+ Beatles songs. I learned the chords of every song and it was only years later, after working with a guitar teacher, that I realized what I had done. I had taught myself music theory. My dad knew exactly what he was doing. He constantly tricked me into learning things I would have rejected if presented directly.
In 1995, Aidan moved to Seattle and attended Puget Sound Community School (pscs.org) for 3 years. PSCS is a school designed around responsibility and community involvement. Students chose their own classes and schedule, participated in apprenticeships, taught classes on their favorite subjects, and volunteered in various community service projects. Aidans education continued into high school at the Wilderness Awareness Community School, where the classroom was a traditional shelter with a dirt floor and the morning started with lighting a fire without matches. During that time, Aidan completed an independent study project that included an in-depth study of over 300 different species, and a year-long field study of one natural site.
Music was always a constant; Aidan began studying different genres during his teenage years and developed an extensive music repertoire. At the age of 15, he began writing original music and performed at various restaurants and coffee houses. His original work related well to students of nature and he was often asked to perform at workshops.
Aidans professional experience began in 1999 as an instructor for the Tracker Schools Coyote Tracks program. Wilderness Awareness School hired Aidan as an instructor in early 2000, working with youth and adults, through hands-on programs and correspondence courses. In 2001, Aidan moved back to New Jersey and started a wildly successful nature program for home-schooled students while finishing up his high school years.
Aidan first visited the Riekes Center in 1997, working as an assistant instructor during a workshop held at the Riekes Field Station. Over the next few years he visited the Riekes Center regularly, working with Jimmy Noriega on pitching mechanics and jamming with Gary. In 2002, Gary invited Aidan to work at the Riekes Center, so he packed up his belongings, stuffed them in the back of a Subaru and drove 3000 miles to sunny California.
Since 2002, Aidan has participated as a student and instructor in all of the Riekes Centers departments. He began learning the ins and outs of taking someone through a workout, photographing events for the centers wall art, taking students camping, editing sports highlight videos, and teaching guitar lessons. Hes privileged to study guitar and voice with John Jordan, work out regularly, and instruct for the Pre-Teen Nature Studies program.
Today, Aidan teaches private lessons and group music classes to over 75 students on a regular basis. Hes been the Creative Arts Director since June of 2005.
My favorite thing about Creative Arts at the Riekes Center is the opportunity students get to take what theyve learned and use it in a real environment. If you want to see what its like to experience joy through Creative Arts, come to a recital and see the students that are performing their favorite songs in a concert or showing their movie.
aidan@riekes.org
