Just Announced category interest

Black Music Action Coalition (BMAC), Nashville Music Equality, The Recording Industry Association of America®, and Wasserman Music have announced the second annual installment of their Maymester Music Accelerator Program, which this year expands to include not just Tennessee State University, but also neighboring Fisk University—the oldest institution of higher learning in Nashville, Tennessee and a highly ranked historically Black university. The invaluable program, powered by Amazon Music, offers Black college students in Tennessee access to music industry leadership, mentorship, and career resources. Over the course of three weeks, students in the program will learn about a range of aspects within the entertainment industry, from touring and marketing to publishing and public relations. The Coalition will once again bring in some of the most successful executives and artists in the music industry to guest lecture throughout the program. This year’s program will be sponsored by Primary Wave’s BMAC-James Brown Education Fund—a fund announced at BMAC’s second Music In Action Awards Gala that’s set to grow annually and that will cover the costs for 30 students to take this elective class for free.

The first Maymester Music Accelerator Program in 2022 placed students in opportune internships across multiple music industry companies, including Wasserman Music, Warner Music Nashville and LVRN. The program included speakers from various focuses in the music business, such as Post Malone manager Dre London, Artistry Group founder/CEO Max Gousse, Tuma Basa (YouTube Music), Andrew Lieber (MAC Agency), Full Stop Management/GIANT Records’s Shawn Holiday, recording artists BRELAND, Blanco Brown and Joy Oladokun, Mary J Blige’s manager Ashaunna Ayars, Marcus Johnson (Goldenvoice/AEG), Brandon McEachern and Marcus Allen (Broccoli City) EMPIRE product manager Russell Barrett, RIAA’s Jackie Jones, Tina Davis (Vp of EMPIRE), BMG’s Tim Reid and Jon Loba, and Wasserman Music agents Lee Anderson, Lenore Kinder, Callender, Chappel McCollister and Mallory Smith, and concluded with guest lectures super producer Dallas Austin and recording artist Sir The Baptist, both of whom received an honorary doctorate in music from TSU that month. The last class was held at the National Museum of African American Music, where each student was surprised with their very own gold plaque from the RIAA.

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"Tennessee State University is fortunate to have these music-related companies participating in our Maymester course. They bring deep content and wide contacts.  From the beginning of this partnership, we identified a mutual goal, which is to provide real-world opportunities for students who otherwise might be under-represented in the music industry," said Dr. Mark Crawford, coordinator of TSU's Commercial Music program.

BMAC Co-Founder/Co-Chairman, Willie “Prophet” Stiggers, says of this year’s program, “...while many have put the down the protest signs and lower the urgency around racial and social justice, Black Music Action Coalition is doubling down on our commitment to creating sustainable pipeline programs and providing real access for the next generation of music executives and artists, that have historically been denied access to the level of exposure and training that our music accelerator program provides. We were intentional about Tennessee State University being the hub for this program and with Nashville being such an important part of the music industry, it’s imperative that we are building programs like this right here down the street from Music Row. This year we expanded the music accelerator program to include FISK University and the goal is to eventually have students from all 107 HBCUs to participate in this program annually.”

About the program, Nashville Music Equality Community Chair and Nashville Promise Zone Manager Brian Sexton says, “The magnitude of this program is so important for TSU students who have been historically shut out of access and opportunities within our music industry landscape here in Nashville, TN. On behalf of Nashville Music Equality and the Nashville Promise Zone, I couldn’t be more inspired to see this program come back to TSU as well as the number of Black Music Executives this program will produce. To have this happen at Tennessee State University again after TSU’s Aristocrat of Bands Grammy win is absolutely amazing!”

“Being a part of this program has been an amazing experience and an important first step to bringing more voices to the table. The incredible talent these students bring to the music industry through this program and beyond is truly inspiring. I am looking forward to partnering on intentional efforts to bring music business opportunities to more students,” shares Jackie Jones, RIAA’s SVP Artist and Industry Relations.

Wasserman Music Senior Vice President Lenore Kinder says, "The outstanding students at TSU and Fisk deserve equal access to all aspects of the greater-Nashville music community and beyond. Our Maymester program is about bringing resources, relationships and expertise to these students to prepare them to launch careers in music, and I couldn’t be more honored to continue the work we started eighteen-plus months ago."

Amazon Music’s Head of Diversity, Equity andamp; Inclusion, Gary Bushrod adds, “What the Black Music Action Coalition is doing to bridge the racial gap in the music business is invaluable work. As an HBCU graduate myself, I am extremely proud and energized by what the Music Accelerator Program is creating for students at Tennessee State and Fisk University.”