Youth Prevention
By Sharon Egiebor
Click Here to listen to “What Are You Waiting For?” Stephen Logwood believes a song can influence individuals to change personal behavior. Logwood and his business partner Keith Holland create songs and lyrics as part of a social marketing campaign to change individual health behavior. Their latest song focuses on HIV prevention, which the producers say is targeted toward young African Americans. “[Music] makes the information more consumable,” Logwood said. “It helps with the retention and the ability to use melody. The message recycles itself. People will hear the message, and then want to hear it again.” Logwood said he believes using music to change behavior works better than the tried-and-true public service announcement or highway bulletin boards. “After a 30-60 second spot, no one is saying, ‘I really want to see that 30-60 second spot again, particularly on radio. You don’t catch people recycling radio PSAs [public service announcements] or brochures. Yet, people are spending a $100 million a year on brochures, print products and the like. Those resources are going to public relation firms and ad agencies,” he said. “In the area of behavioral change, there are only so many things that motivate and music happens to be one of them.” According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, young people represent 13 percent of all new HIV infections. Of those infections in 2004, African Americans were disproportionately affected, accounting for 55 percent among persons aged 13-24. Community organizations, schools, churches and non government agencies are all seeking ways to reduce the rising HIV infection rates in young people 13-24 years old. The prevention message and the method, sociologists say, have to change with each new generation at risk. Some groups use music in the prevention method. Others encourage poetry, plays and essay contests. “What Are You Waiting For?” encourages young people to follow the ABC’s of HIV prevention. Lyrics urge abstinence, faithfulness and condom use. It provides statistics on HIV infections in African Americans and then tells listeners to get tested for the disease. Logwood said this particular song is a mix of soul and hip hop. Other songs may be adapted for different audiences with different formats and could include rock, heavy metal and opera. “I generally produce the style of music that I like,” he said. “I’m 46 and my influence was Stevie Wonder and jazz. I like to hear good music, rich harmony and rich instrumentation.” Holland and Logwood formed Positive Records, a multimedia development company, 15 years ago. Their pilot program was Groovy Pyramid, a Music-based Health Literacy and Health Promotion Project, which tackled obesity prevention and encouraged adherence to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s food pyramid. Since then, the duo added HIV, diabetes and smoking cessation. “One of the production techniques is to make the song a singable song so that people will relate to different parts,” Logwood said. “That is my calling -- to use melody to deliver this kind of communication.”