Press Release: Youth Collaborate with Grammy Award Winning Musicians
PRESS RELEASE
March 31, 2016
Contact Person: Carl Settles 512-917-2551, carl@e4youth.org
E4 Youth Music Legacy Project
What: Local high school youth record EP
When: April 2 – 3, 2016, 9AM – 5PM
Where: The Recording Conservatory of Austin, 4615 City Park Rd, Austin, TX 78730
Youth Collaborate with Grammy Award Winning Musicians
Austin-area youth are collaborating with members of the Grammy winning band Grupo Fantasma and Riders Against the Storm (3 time Austin Band of the Year) to record an EP of all original music.
“The future of music in Austin is in good hands” says Chaka Mpeanaji, the Project Director and one half of the hip hop super duo Riders Against the Storm. “These young musicians really bring it. We’ve got rappers working with jazz instrumentalists, beat makers working with R&B vocalists and a Latin Grammy award winning rhythm section. I’m blown away by all this talent.” The record promises to be a vibrant mix of all those styles.
The Music Legacy Project kicked off six weeks ago with a presentation by local historian Harold McMillan of DiverseArts Production Group. Mr. McMillan highlighted the rich tradition of African-Americans in Austin dating back to the 1800’s. “With gentrification pushing so many kids of color out of the core of the city, we wanted these kids to know about that history and be able to carry it forward” says Carl Settles, Founder/Executive Director of E4 Youth. “Based on that knowledge, the kids have worked together with Chaka to come up with some amazing new songs.”
“When Carl talked to me about the project, I thought it was a great opportunity to give back but also for our students at The Recording Conservatory of Austin to gain some valuable experience” says Greg Gonzalez, Grupo Fantasma bassist and TRCoA instructor. “Our students will take a hands on roll in recording, mixing and mastering this project.”
About E4 Youth
E4 Youth is an Austin-based, non-profit organization founded in 2009. Through partnerships with Austin area schools and educators, E4 Youth helps bridge the gap between underserved youth and creative commercial arts careers. We identify, nurture, and promote talent through training, mentoring and internships. Since its inception, E4 Youth has worked directly with over 2000 students and raised over 1 million dollars in cash and in-kind donations in support of its programs.
About TCRoA
Founded by John Stinson in 2007, TCRoA is a state of the art production school in the scenic hills of West Austin.
