ST. LOUIS — It kicked off with the sounds of an energetic drumline outside Union Memorial United Methodist Church near Belt and Bartmer in north St. Louis.
"Well, I think it's a really good thing," said 12-year-old Aaron Austin.
The seventh grader is excited about the 30th Annual Youth Gospel Music Workshop.
"I think it's a lot of fun. I love how you get to make friends. You get to be you," Aaron said.
"After you leave here this week, you will never by the same," Charlotte Brown told the young crowd.
Brown is the president of the Arts and Technology Center.
She and her team are teaching children and teens how to play a variety of instruments, sing and fall in love with the arts.
"We want to teach them discipline. We want to teach them how to focus," Brown said.
On another note during the summer gospel music conference, educators, social workers and other professionals said they're teaching the youngsters how to build their self-esteem, follow their dreams and stay on right paths.
"One of our goals is to keep guns out of the kids' hands. If you put an instrument in a child's hand, if you put a mic in a child's hand, then they got something to do with their hands," Brown added.
Many of the instructors who will show up at Union Memorial United Methodist Church for the four-day conference were actually in the conference themselves when they were children,
"Instead of turning to the streets, we could come here," said 29-year-old Margaret Jones.
Jones is the Director of Admissions at Lutheran North High School in north St. Louis County.
She was 8 years old when she attended the gospel music conference.
"It's a phenomenal event and I have a five-year-old who's gonna be here for the first year," Jones said.
"Yes, just hearing Margaret's comments is music to my ears. This conference is so exciting this year. We are still reaching generations," Brown said.
"Yes, I will keep coming back," said Aaron Austin.
The kids will get a chance to show off their singing and music skills during a concert at the church on Saturday.