Get on with it: The Story behind BARS AND MELODY

The story behind BARS AND MELODY

I would like to start this blog entry with a quote related to the healing power of music: "Music washes away from the soul the dust of everyday life" Berthold Auerbach. This may have been what moved teenager Leondre Devries to put into words and music the painful experiences he had gone through. Like many kids and teenagers from all over the world, he is a bullying victim. And the following is his story.

Leondre Devries is a 13-year-old teenager who presented to participate in a TV show named Britain's Got Talent. This reality show is aimed at discovering new artists in the music field. Together with a friend, Charlie Lenehan, a 15-year-old boy, they formed a duet and took part of the show. They introduced themselves to the judges and Leondre narrated his torments from the past.

In Devries own words: "I used t get jumped on by a group of boys who would wait for me, then trip me up and punch and kick me", he said in relation to the series of events he was a victim of. For over two years, he suffered from this scourge that affects thousand of kids, especially within schools. His parents did not realize about the problem their son was facing since Leondre tried to hide what was embarrassing for him by that time.

The phenomenon of bullying has been spread through children and teenagers inside schools. A definition of bullying says that it is "unwanted, aggressive behavior among school aged children that involves a real or perceived power imbalance. The behavior is repeated or has the potential to be repeated, over time." Among many others, types of bullying may be:

Verbal: this type of bullying includes saying or writing mean things about someone.

Social: it involves hurting someone's reputation or relationships by leaving him/her out on purpose, spreading rumors, etc.

Physical: it involves hurting a person's body or possessions by hitting, kicking, breaking someone's things, etc.

Little did Leondre Devries and Charlie Lenehan imagine that their participation would generate such an impact on the audience. "We really want to help people with our music and show the positive as well as the negative" Devries remarked. It is important to highlight the possible solutions to this problem. Parents, teachers and all the community should know that an effective communication is the key to help any teenager or kid who is going through this disturbing situation. According to a web site, some tips to help them are:

Kids and teenagers have to understand bullying. Adults should talk about what bullying is and how to stand up to it safely. Bullying is unacceptable and students should not feel fear or embarrass.

Parents should be attentive to their children and have a trustworthy relationship with them. They should listen to their children, know their friends, ask about school, and understand their concerns.

Parents should also encourage their children to talk about their problems, so as to find possible solutions to them.

All in all, Leondre Devries' testimony came up to help those who suffered from bullying and to encourage them overcoming the situation. And my message for those who are bullied is to always remember that BULLYING IS UNACCEPTABLE. Do not allow anyone to hurt you or to let you down. Be brave, defend yourself and be FREE FROM BULLYING! Just like Leondre...