By day, Young Center supporter Robert Heirendt - a social worker by trade- helps children and their families heal through music therapy. As a songwriter and multi-instrumentalist trained in the Zimbabwean thumb piano, or Mbira, Robert plays in the free jazz/groove band Tumble by night, while also developing multiple solo projects.

Inspired by the Young Center’s work and the parallels to his own job, he decided to combine his passion for music with his love for helping children and their families. This resulted in Robert working with 17 other performers to put together a tribute album of Bob Dylan’s “Self Portrait.”

Released during the height of the COVID-19 lockdowns in June 2020 on the exact 50th anniversary of Dylan’s release, the tribute album finally saw its official live debut at a combination launch party/ Young Center fundraiser at the Nevada Theater in Nevada City California on January 26th, which raised upwards of $3,000.00 for unaccompanied and separated immigrant children.

We are incredibly grateful to Robert, his family, and his colleagues for their support and want to share a little more about Robert’s work with our Young Center community!

Tell us a little bit about how you learned about the Young Center?

Around the time of the Trump administration, there was a story in the New York Times about kids being ripped apart from their families.  I was very touched hearing the stories of children who were separated from their families at the U.S. border and concerned by the “portrait” that we as a nation are projecting to the world by how we are treating these immigrant children.

So, I started putting together the “Self Portrait” tribute compilation album to draw attention to the issue. I began looking into different immigration groups that work on the border. I was attracted to the specific work the Young Center does with children who come to the United States without guardians, and was impressed by the central work of professionals working with immigrant children in state court systems, to better amplify the voices and needs of immigrant children.

I decided to program the CD’s release for June 2020, on the 50th anniversary of Bob Dylan’s original release. All of the artists contributed their tracks for free in support of benefiting children at the border. Although we were able to sell CDs and digital downloads, at the time of the release, many of us were still in lockdown due to the ongoing pandemic.

Finally, two and ½ years later, we were able to hold the live release concert on January 26th. The show went well. We had eight different performers throughout the evening from the 17-track album. Fun night with a great audience. We sold CDs, which featured artwork done by my wife Juli Marks, and even managed to get a local record store to donate some copies of Dylan’s original Self Portrait album. These artworks were also auctioned off to benefit the Young Center as well.

What is one thing you’d like everyone to know about the Young Center’s work?

The Young Center creates personal relationships with the kids. You have to imagine what it’s like to show up in a foreign culture facing a foreign and complex legal system. As a social worker, I work with a lot of kids that come through child welfare and foster care, who are removed from their parents, and we have advocates that work with the kids that parallel what the Young Center does. It’s so important that there’s someone who advocates for what’s legal and what’s in their best interests.

What’s your dream for immigrant children?

That they would be well cared for and that their situation is looked at carefully to find the best outcome and situation for the kids. In the case, that there’s no family or relatives, that they can get help with that. I think its also important that they get help with finding a better life and to successfully get a way from what they were leaving behind, which is different in every situation and case.

If you were to recommend one Bob Dylan song, which one would that be?

That’s tough but possibly “Every Grain of Sand.” It’s transcendent and hopeful.

You can find Robert’s Bob Dylan: Self Portrait tribute album available for purchase on his BandCamp website. All proceed from these purchases will go to the Young Center.