Leading Global Music Publisher Sponsors The J Dilla Music Tech Grant As Part of a 10-Year Commitment
Manuel Arts High School in Los Angeles is the First School Selected
LOS ANGELES, July 27, 2022–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Kobalt today announced they have partnered with the Save the Music Foundation and will sponsor the J Dilla Music Tech Grant. This grant will provide resources, education, and support to the Manuel Arts High School in Los Angeles, CA, for ten years.
As part of this commitment, Kobalt will provide Manuel Arts High School with custom masterclasses each academic year to educate and give students access to music learning in the modern-day music industry.
“Kobalt has a long history of empowering creators,” said President and Chief Operating Officer Jeannette Perez. “This partnership is another example of Kobalt’s commitment to supporting the next generation of creators and providing opportunities to underserved communities.”
“Music education undoubtedly provides a myriad of benefits for students in areas of social, emotional learning, identity building, confidence, as well as the incredible skill of being able to create and analyze music,” Joshua Gronlund, Director of Choirs and Music Production at Manual Arts High School said. “Through music production, students will create and analyze electronic music, hip hop, reggaeton, and pop which validates the cultures, identities, and learning styles of all students in our community. I am so thankful that Kobalt has supported the growth of a program that is rooted in culturally responsive music education.”
“Save the Music Foundation has created a space for Kobalt to be able to give back in a big way and impact the lives of children and support in building a prosperous future for them,” said Kobalt’s Director of People & Culture & Global Diversity, Equity & Inclusion, Patricia Pereira. “Kobalt will educate and support children’s learning by providing awareness, education, and insight into the music ecosystem. We are excited about this opportunity and can’t wait to start.”
Said VP, Creative, and Co-Chair of the DE&I Community Task Force at Kobalt, Emily Bines, “We are excited and honored to collaborate with Save The Music and Manual Arts High School. We have high hopes this partnership will be incredibly impactful to the students now and for years to come. We are excited to offer Kobalt’s unique insights and teachings – and to paint a picture of all the incredible opportunities the music industry has to offer.”
“Kobalt’s commitment to invest in music education in Los Angeles means that students will be making music in this culturally and musically rich community for years to come,” said Executive Director of Save The Music, Henry Donahue. “And they’ve also gone beyond a financial investment in our J Dilla Music Tech program – creating a set of curricular materials based on the company’s music tech and music business expertise. Together the grant and the curriculum will create new opportunities for LA students to reach their full potential through the power of making music.”
“The confluence of Save the Music, J Dilla, and Kobalt at Manual Arts High School will eliminate the opportunity gap and provide access to the arts, while engaging students in culturally relevant music education,” said Frances Baez, Superintendent of Local District Central in the Los Angeles Unified School District.
About Save The Music Foundation
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The Save The Music Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that helps students, schools, and communities reach their full potential through the power of making music. For 25 years, Save The Music has addressed the systemic inequities in music education by investing in culturally rich communities across the US – donating school instruments and technology; working as a convener, expert, and catalyst; helping to train and support teachers; and starting and building thousands of new music programs in over 286 school districts nationwide. Learn more at https://www.savethemusic.org.
About The J Dilla Music Tech Grant
Developed in partnership with Pharrell Williams’ creative collective, i am OTHER, supported by Ma Dukes, and named after her son, legendary hip hop producer J Dilla, the STM J Dilla Music Technology Grant delivers the future of music education through innovative tech tools and curriculum to bring out students’ inner creativity, talent, and confidence by teaching the fundamentals of electronic music creation, recording, and production.
Learn more at https://www.savethemusic.org/how-we-work/explore-music-tech/
About Kobalt
Kobalt is a music and technology company built for artists, songwriters, publishers, and labels as an alternative to the traditional music business model. Across 13 global offices, the company serves over 700,000 songs, 30,000 songwriters, and 500 publishers, including Roddy Ricch, Max Martin, FINNEAS, Karol G, Andrew Watt, Stevie Nicks, Phoebe Bridgers, The Lumineers, Gunna, Justin Quiles, The Foo Fighters, Paul McCartney, and many more. On average, Kobalt represents over 40% of the top 100 songs and albums in the US and the UK.
Through Kobalt’s unique services and technology platform that tracks and collects royalties for the trillions of micro-payments in digital music today, the company continues to drive innovation in music and technology. Kobalt’s latest innovation, AMRA, is a global digital society that has reached all corners of the world outside of the US and includes direct digital collection for China, Brazil, Japan, and more.
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Contacts
Kobalt
Press@Kobaltmusic.com
Save the Music Foundation
Zack Flores
Zack.Flores@savethemusic.org
