CHARLOTTE, N.C. — This Friday, Pachyderm Music Lab in Charlotte turns 5 years old.

The Lab, which caters to the LGBTQ community, women, and young people, is hoping its message of inclusive creativity continues to resonate for years to come.

Owner Krystle Baller calls running the Lab a passion project.

"It’s inspiring and gets me out of bed in the morning. I want to bring joy to people’s lives through music,” Baller says on the ground floor of the Lab.

Located on 423 East 22nd Street, Baller’s building screams creative energy before you even get in the door.

Bright paint outside and twinkling lights inside give a preview of what Baller’s trying to do; create an inclusive and welcoming space for young people and teens to explore their creative side.

The students do not get to have all the fun. Baller has been playing guitar, bass, and other instruments for 20 years and performs in her own band.

In fact, she stumbled into teaching almost on accident.

Several years ago, Baller became involved with Girls Rock Charlotte, a summer program which encourages girls, women, and the gender diverse to learn music and enter creative spaces.

The program changed her life’s trajectory after parents kept asking for private lessons.

"We use music as a tool to teach confidence in our students,” Baller says.

What started as teaching house to house, turned into the Pachyderm Music Lab.

Pachyderm Music Lab serves all ages and also caters to LGBTQ youth, girls, and women. Baller does it all all day, teaching students as young as five, to virtual evening classes with women. The women are aptly named, “Lady Rockstars."

To prepare for her Lab’s fifth anniversary, Baller decided it would be fun for her students to create their own songs and record them.

The songs range from the kindergarten minds’ fun and silly creations, to the more serious teenage reflections on current society. During the ups and downs of the COVID-19 pandemic, she noticed a darkening mood in some of her older teenage students.

"A lot of the songs that have been written are pretty dark and speak to feelings of isolation, and that comes along with being a queer teen as well, which is just magnified by actually being isolated and not being able to be around your friends,” Baller explains.

Not to mention, the increased societal discussions happening within the last year, including the Black Lives Matter protests and calls for more equality in all aspects of American life.

As her school-age students were stuck at home learning virtually most of the last school year, Baller says they would jump out of the car to come play music during their private, masked lessons.

Then, a CDC survey done in June opened her eyes even more to the challenges facing the country’s young people.

The survey showed 25% of young people ages 18 to 24 had seriously considered suicide in the last 30 days.

"Our space is a safe space and very flamboyant, and they know that they’re welcome here,” Baller says, emphasizing they want to be a place young people are excited and feel welcome to visit.

At times, the classes have been the only non-virtual outlet her students have had, and for some, the only remaining extracurricular in a year of canceled programs.

Baller, a member of the LGBTQ+ community herself, says parents have told her how important classes at the lab are in improving their children’s moods.

“It’s been great to see how excited that the kids are when they get here. And when they leave, they’re so jazzed about learning new songs and talking about it,” Baller adds.

Baller is no stranger to the journey. She believes, and teaches, learning and performing music is a way to increase confidence and find your voice. It’s why the students this year have written their own songs, and perform them bit by bit using digital recording and editing software.

One of those students is Riley Kelly. Kelly is an LGBTQ teen who says the music lab is a comforting spot.

"Music has kind of always been an escape for me since I was like a little kid,” Kelly says during a lesson.

First learning to play piano at 2 years old, Riley now takes bass guitar lessons.

"It’s honestly just refreshing to be able to like go back and listen to stuff and be like, well I can do that too,” Kelly continues.

Her original song will be one of the ones featured on the digital album release this week.

Baller also offers online classes to grown women and gender fluid adults, where they not only learn to play instruments but can jam in virtual bands. It’s a fun, virtual way to meet folks and explore the creative side, according to Baller.

"It’s almost a selfish act for me to come to work and teach everyday, 'cause I love it so much, I love my job,” she adds.

In the meantime, Baller and the other teachers at the lab will continue using music to drum up the beat in the minds of their students. The song they're singing tells them they can do anything and fit in anywhere.

Baller is releasing the free digital album Friday, aptly called "Elephant in the Room." It will feature more than a dozen original songs from her students. The album cover, featuring what looks like a hand-drawn elephant on a multicolor background, was designed by Elizabeth Palmisano and Lo'Vonia Parks.

Friday night at 7 p.m., the Pachyderm Music Lab will host a livestream on Facebook to release the album in the style of, “Old school MTV,” Baller jokes.

Donations in support of the album will go to continuing the lab’s work teaching folks in Charlotte how to jam and use their voice.