Monk Turner
Program Coordinator
monk@youthmentoring.org

Monk Turner’s love of music started when he was 5 years old, sitting in the back seat of long car rides with his parents. Mom and dad would put on the likes of Miles Davis or Lionel Richie and he’d rock to the beat uncontrollably. By the time he hit middle school, his soul had been saved by rock and roll and he played in bands while friends were turning to drugs and not-so-kosher-behavior. By the time he was 15, Monk was booking shows, doing live sound engineering, and playing regularly in live music venues. All this eventually led to a solo career by the time he was 21. But something was missing.

He tried his hand working in advertising, something he had studied at the University of Texas at Austin. When he realized that sitting behind a desk all day wasn’t his cup of tea, he began working in music licensing and went back to performing music. But still, something was missing.

A random invitation from a former Youth Mentoring Connection employee to visit local community center led to a job offer to teach music to youth. For two years Monk saw his passion for music and his dedication to social justice meld into one and finally everything was complete; then the funding dried up and once again he was forced to reconsider his path.

When Monk was invited to join the Youth Mentoring Team and work with many of the same youth, he jumped at the opportunity. He has fit right in with the team and has since been coordinating like nobody’s business. But alas, there is something missing.

The Urban Oasis Music Academy is currently operating in the corner’s of his cramped office which he shares with three other employees. He dreams of the day Urban Oasis becomes a reality and he can once again help youth find the love of music that he found as a kid. And how about a music mentoring program at Youth Mentoring Connection?

In the meantime, Monk continues to write and record music while pushing the boundaries of digital distribution and copyright law. He’s currently working on his 21st concept album in between making sure everyone is showing up for mentoring sessions.