Editor’s note: This article discusses the Music Education Group, which is based in Atlanta, but also has strong Columbus ties.
by Delaney Tarr, Managing Editor of Georgia Insider
Georgia has an impressive musical pedigree. The state has birthed artists like Otis Redding, Outkast, The Allman Brothers Band, James Brown, The B-52’s and R.E.M. It has given the peach state quite a reputation, and in turn it has fueled many musical dreams.
“Everybody wants to be a producer, a songwriter, a star,” recording company veteran Rick Ross said.
But most people are unaware of the other jobs that make up the entertainment industry – marketing, promotions, legal and financial – the ones who “make things happen behind the scenes.” Ross knew there was a gap. Young people had entertainment industry aspirations, but no real path to a sustainable career in the field.
“So, I wanted to start something where we could teach our young people about the business part of the industry,” Ross said.
Ross, with 37 years of experience as a recording company executive, decided to set his sights on a new venture: The Music Education Group, or MEG. In 2004 he created the nonprofit to give students the life and career skills needed to work in the audio and music world.
It paid off. Today, MEG has programs in 26 middle and high schools, a handful of training facilities, a robust grant system and annual intern programs. The nonprofit also hosts as a 300-student summit to bring it all together.
On Mar. 5, the Music Education Group hosted its fourth annual Music Technology Summit at SAE Institute in downtown Atlanta. For half a school day, students from Atlanta Public Schools and Cobb, DeKalb, Fulton and Gwinnett County School Districts joined in industry panels, hands-on breakout sessions, interactive booths and career conversations.
It brings together the goals of Ross and MEG: At the start of the summit, he asked the crowd to raise their hands if they wanted a career in the music industry. Most hands in the room shot up. Then he asked how many wanted to be performers and songwriters. The hands stayed up.
That enthusiasm is where music technology begins. MEG Executive Director James Caldwell said the nonprofit “realized young people didn’t necessarily have access to the creative schools they needed to be successful in the industry.”
MEG opened training facilities to give people access to tools, but Ross pushed for more. He and Caldwell wanted to “give students the knowledge” to know if they want the career, well before they enter the field.
“They’re finding out in high school, not once they graduate,” Ross said.
The nonprofit started focusing on in-school programs. The Georgia Department of Education eventually made music technology an “official career pathway” with assigned coursework and designation upon graduation.
And it all starts in the seventh grade. Caldwell said music technology is a trade “you learn by repetition.”
“The earlier we can introduce young people to this hardware and software,” Caldwell continued. “Ultimately, I want them to be able to make an informed decision about what their next steps are after they graduate from high school.”
Students in the program learn how to use the hardware and software involved in the creative process. They also get certified in Avid Pro Tools, the industry standard software. Caldwell said it helps them understand the entire world of audio, not just music. Students in the program run their own record labels, podcasts and even school theater audio departments.
“Everything we’re doing is workforce development,” Caldwell said.
The nonprofit has also brought on interns, some of whom have gone on to work at companies like AEG Presents, one of the world’s largest live entertainment presenters. During COVID-19, MEG even delivered home studios to 10 students, including Daniela Avanzini – now a member of Grammy-nominated girl group Katseye.
Avanzini may be an exceptional case, but the team at MEG wants all their students “employable upon graduation,” whether or not it’s in a girl group.
Still, there are a few challenges.
One is the industry itself. Caldwell explained major employers like the film industry may shoot in Georgia, but take postproduction elsewhere. The MEG wants to show there is already a trained “next generation of employees” ready to work.
The other issue? Consistency. Music technology isn’t in every school in Georgia, so kids can move from middle to high school and lose the program. Other teachers lack training to even teach the class. The nonprofit partnered with the Save the Music Foundation in 2022 to give out grants to teachers.
It’s a work in progress. Eventually, Ross, Caldwell and the MEG team want an Advanced Placement Music Technology Course in all Georgia schools. Students will then be able to “create a pathway” from seventh grade to employment.
“That in itself is still a challenge, because whatever it is we as a state decide to give a young person when they finish this pathway, it has to be something recognized by the industry,” Caldwell said. “We’re not quite there yet.”
Reprinted from Georgia Insider. Used with permission.
