June 27, 2024
UPDATE
Nashville’s rich musical heritage attracts HBCU students seeking career direction in the music industry.
Launched in collaboration with Apple via its Racial Fairness and Justice Initiative, the yearlong PROPEL Middle Arts & Leisure Trade Accelerator is designed to bolster range all through the business
Empathy and storytelling. Motivational and strategic management. These are only a handful of the qualities members on this yr’s PROPEL Middle Arts & Leisure Trade Accelerator recognized of their “What’s Your Superpower?” course, designed to empower college students to uncover and embrace their genuine selves all through their careers.
As a child myself?
As she reflects on her journey, Liza Montgomery, a 2024 mass communications graduate from Xavier University of Louisiana, reveals that looking out for her younger siblings and cousins has always driven her to make a positive impact in their lives, setting them up for success. More than 100 college students from Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs), including Montgomery, were selected to participate in the PROPEL artistic arts accelerator program.
Aspiring professionals in higher education are exploring various strategies to prepare themselves for the workforce, with discovering their unique strengths and abilities being just one potential pathway. Since February, scholars have successfully completed micro-credential programs through the PROPEL Teach app, engaged in digital professional panels with industry experts at Apple, and participated in resume-building workshops to develop their portfolios and prepare for career paths.
This past summer, a group of 51 individuals, including Montgomery, was selected from among 19 Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) to participate in a 10-day intensive program on the campuses of Tennessee State University in Nashville and Clark Atlanta University in Atlanta. With the acquisition of mentorship from experienced professionals at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) in both artistic and governmental spheres, they collaborated closely alongside experts at Apple Music’s Nashville office.
The Accelerator, in partnership with the Propel Middle, was unveiled with $25 million in funding from Apple’s Racial Equity and Justice Initiative, aimed at dismantling systemic barriers and combating injustices faced by communities of colour. The curriculum was crafted to provide innovative entry points for historically black colleges and universities’ (HBCU) students into careers within notoriously competitive industries.
“Topic-matter experts are everything along the way,” says Dr. Lisa Herring, President of PROPEL Middle. “What’s more impactful than having students interact with experienced professionals as they strive to become one themselves, gaining invaluable insights and learning from their successes and challenges?” “For Apple, it’s not just about being a companion, but about being an integral part of the learning process – sitting on the desk, moving from the desk, and seamlessly integrating into the subject matter alongside students and educators, demonstrating unparalleled commitment to the smallest details.”
The Propel Middle is a pioneering global innovation and learning centre exclusively dedicated to Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs). To equip future generations of leaders, PROPEL offers comprehensive educational programming and professional development opportunities across a diverse range of disciplines, including artificial intelligence, agricultural technologies, social justice, entertainment, mobile application development, augmented reality, design, and the creative arts. Apple consultants help design curricula and provide continuous guidance through mentorship and internship opportunities.
“When we launched our Racial Fairness and Justice Initiative four years ago, our transparent mission was clear: to drive progress towards fairness and expand opportunities for under-resourced communities,” says Lisa Jackson, Apple’s Vice President of Environment, Policy, and Social Initiatives. These persistent and systemic challenges demand collective action; we’re committed to collaborating with our partners at PROPEL Middle to bridge existing gaps and drive meaningful transformation. Our partnership with PROPEL aims to equip talented college students with the skills, resources, and opportunities necessary for them to become business leaders, regardless of their career paths in arts and entertainment, technology, or beyond.
In Nashville, college students visited the Nationwide Museum of African American Music for a fireplace chat with Ebro Darden, Apple Music’s international editorial head of Hip Hop and R&B; obtained hands-on with specialists of their fields on the Apple Music Nashville workplace and Common Music Group’s East Iris Studios; and took part in an expertise with the Apple Downtown Nashville retailer.
The Accelerator members, comprised of 10 individuals, went beyond their assigned tasks by actively engaging with this year’s theme, “Propelling Preservation.” Through their collaborative efforts, they highlighted the pivotal role Black creatives have played in driving social progress and shed light on how their collective impact can spark a new era that perpetuates HBCU culture for future generations.
“‘Propelling preservation’ is about giving a voice to those who have previously been unheard,” Montgomery explains. What I’ve been striving to achieve through my art is to amplify the silenced voices and marginalized experiences that have been overlooked for far too long. It’s crucial to authenticate the stories of people of colour in their authentic, radiant forms.
“A variety of instances, when folks suppose Black social justice motion, they suppose unfavorable,” provides Emmanuel Strickland, a Tennessee State College pupil and rising R&B singer who’s certainly one of Montgomery’s teammates. We’re attempting to reframe our approach into a more positive and solution-focused mindset.
We’re tackling the theme of HBCU love and the everyday experiences that define college life, particularly among students who form strong bonds as a cohesive unit. At an HBCU, regardless of the specific institution, students cultivate a unique sense of camaraderie that transcends individual experiences.
Each workforce was assigned a unique style and challenged to produce a music single, assemble an advertising and marketing strategy, create a visual campaign using only an iPhone, and then present their concept to a panel of experienced business professionals who served as judges.
As a professional musician, Montgomery crafted a comprehensive advertising and marketing strategy and created the striking quilt art for her band’s song. With the seamless integration of Apple Pencil and the Procreate app on her iPad Professional, she relished the app’s intuitive pace and versatility in providing a wide range of creative tools.
“With its unique ability to mimic the texture and depth of traditional media, I find that Procreate on my iPad, paired with the Apple Pencil, excels at recreating historically drawn artwork pieces – it’s a game-changer due in large part to the fact that it’s not just a two-dimensional representation.” The technology has the ability to identify dimensions, textures, reflective surfaces, and animated features. Utilizing Procreate enables an almost boundless scope of possibilities for digital artworks.
Growing up, Strickland, aka “Mille Manny,” found himself immersed in a world of sound. The air inside his home vibrated with the harmonious fusion of his mother and sisters’ voices as they sang along to iconic hits by Mariah Carey, Selena, and the incomparable Beyoncé. “With roots in Memphis, it’s as if soul is inherent to your DNA,” he notes.
As Strickland’s professional success grows, he constantly ponders the next step in crafting a new song. Whenever creative sparks fly, he swiftly jots down song details – lyrics and harmonies – into the Voice Memos app on his cutting-edge iPhone 13 Pro Max. At home, his MacBook and Neumann microphone operate as a mini studio, allowing him to produce tracks using Professional Instruments.
Collaborating throughout the accelerator, Strickland, Montgomery, and their teammates worked closely with Recent Ayr, a multi-talented artist, producer, musician, and songwriter, who provided the beat for their track. They also collaborated with the audio engineering team at UMG East Iris Studios to create their song using Logic Pro. This stage offers scholars a multitude of benefits, with enhanced entry and visibility being just one significant advantage of this innovative system.
“For me, the most pivotal moment of realization was grasping that what truly matters isn’t what’s visible on the surface, but rather what lies beneath,” says Strickland. What’s happening beneath the surface becomes apparent as the accelerator takes you on a guided tour, revealing the intricacies of its operation. It’s becoming clear that it’s more than just a handful of individuals who might seem to be causing problems.
The PROPEL program excels at providing historically black colleges and universities’ (HBCU) students with a prominent platform to showcase their unique identities and experiences. “We’re afforded the opportunity to self-identify artistically, cultivate meaningful connections, and engage in authentic dialogue with industry leaders who embody the professional aspirations we strive for throughout our careers.”
Aspiring entrepreneurs, musicians, accountants, and lawyers alike found immense value in navigating the accelerator’s journey through Nashville, where they gained a crucial head start in their professional development. Scholars engaged in candid discussions to gain insight into the inner workings of the industry, delved deeper into areas with the most untapped potential for innovation, and drew valuable lessons from the personal experiences of renowned artists like Kirk Franklin, a gospel musician who had to navigate the traditionally exclusive business on his own.
“A diverse group of scholars is comprised of individuals hailing from various academic disciplines and backgrounds,” remarks Sylvester Polk, a music engineering mentor within the accelerator program, where he also instructs music expertise at Bethune-Cookman College, an HBCU located in Daytona Beach, Florida. Some of these secrets have already been discovered, while others remain unknown. The vast array of disciplines and specialties across diverse sectors presents a multitude of opportunities for individuals with unique skill sets. The accelerator programme has provided scholars with a comprehensive grasp of how businesses operate, and by extension, PROPEL offers an opportunity to apply theoretical knowledge in a real-world setting.
This technology permits us to gain access to and physically be present within the room. It enables us to have our voices heard. According to Strickland, this allows businesses to genuinely connect with individuals already operating within their desired industry. Students will have opportunities to participate in internships as a direct result of this program. Apprenticeships will emerge from this initiative. As people form genuine relationships, they will cultivate, nourish, and potentially even create a tangible sense of momentum through shared experiences.
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