Education

I serve as a Board Member, Founder and Executive Director of MUSIC to the Ears Foundation.

MUSIC to the Ears Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization serving in-school and out of school youth and young adults in Los Angeles County and surrounding communities.

The mission is to eliminate all barriers to creative and economic opportunities for underrepresented communities by providing specialized education, career training and mentoring programs. Our goal is to increase opportunities, diversity, equity, and inclusion across all sectors of the music, media and entertainment industry.

For more details, visit:
MUSIC to the Ears Foundation
M.U.S.I.C = Musicians Using their Skills to Inspire Change
www.musictotheears.org

Community Impact Highlights: https://www.musictotheears.org/highlights/

In 2020, I received my California (CTE) Career Technical Education teaching credentials in (3) industry sectors: Arts, Media, Entertainment; Business and Finance; Sales and Marketing.

Career Technical Education (CTE) is one of the fastest growing areas of education. Sometimes known as Vocational Education, these courses prepare students, middle school to adult, for specific trades in 15 industry sectors. Teachers pursuing a CTE credential come directly from those industry areas. They teach students the academic and technical content that provides them with the knowledge and skills to enter an occupation, or continue on to college

In behalf of MUSIC to the Ears Foundation and Academix BEAT Lab, I produced a DJ/Music education activation and booth during the Destination Crenshaw Groundbreaking Event in Leimert Park on February 29, 2020. This was a free public family friendly event to celebrate the ground breaking of the monumental Destination Crenshaw Project. The event was hosted by Issa Rae (Actress, Producer, Director) and had over 10,000 in attendance.

The multi-million dollar project is led by Councilman Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who represents district 8 of Southwest Los Angeles.

For more details, visit: https://www.musictotheears.org/highlights/

I served as one of several community partners and organizers to produce a music education workshop for Mayor Villariagosa’s Day of Service event at McArthur Park, during his term as the Mayor of Los Angeles.

Antonio Ramón Villaraigosa is an American politician who served as the 41st Mayor of Los Angeles from 2005 to 2013. Before becoming mayor, he was a member of the California State Assembly (1994–2000), where he served as the Democratic Majority Leader (1996–98), and the Speaker of the California State Assembly (1998–2000). As Speaker, Villaraigosa was an advocate for working families and helped to write legislation protecting the environment, expanding healthcare access, and increasing funding for public schools.

In 2012, I served as a commencement speaker for the LAFRS Graduating class. I also produced a curated several Music, Entertainment, Film and TV workshop panel seminars with music entertainment industry celebrities and professionals.

The Los Angeles Film and Recording School is a for-profit college in Los Angeles, California offering associate and bachelor’s degrees in majors relating to the entertainment industry. They have 2 campuses located on Sunset Blvd. in Hollywood, focusing on Music and Film.

For more details, visit: https://www.musictotheears.org/highlights/

In 2006, through my work as a Radio On-air Mixshow DJ/Personality for 100.3 The Beat and V100, I was introduced to 54th Street Elementary. After serving as a career day guest speaker, I partnered with their school to set up a weekly afterschool music education program. For more details, visit: https://www.musictotheears.org/highlights/

Fifty-Fourth Street Elementary School is a (K-5) public school located in Local District West, Los Angeles Unified School District.

I developed and implemented a weekly afterschool music education program at DaVinci RISE (Hawthorne), which eventually was expanded to 2x week during their regular BTB schedule. (2018 – 2020)

For more details, visit: https://www.musictotheears.org/highlights/

RISE High, incubated at Da Vinci Schools, was 1 of only 10 schools in the nation to win a prestigious ‘Super School’ grant to reimagine high school in connection with XQ: The Super School Project, funded by Laurene Powell Jobs.

Da Vinci RISE High seeks to create a highly responsive, holistic, and integrated model that meets the unique needs of youth navigating foster care, housing instability, probation, and/or other circumstances that have caused disruptions in their academic journeys.

I served as a community organization partner and music education workshop coordinator for the Beyond The Bell “Spotlight On Success” Summer Festival at West LA College on May 9, 2015. The event served over 3,000 teens from over 41 local schools from Los Angeles Unified School District and San Diego County. Our workshop focused on The Art of DJing and featured guest performers and instructors.

Beyond The Bell is an LAUSD approved afterschool. The mission of the Beyond the Bell Branch is to ensure that all children and youth in LAUSD have access to high quality, safe, and supervised academic, enrichment, and recreation programs that inspire learning and achievement beyond the regular school day (before and after school and Saturdays).

For more details, visit: https://www.musictotheears.org/highlights/

I served a volunteer outreach coordinator, venue scout, guest speaker, and music arts workshop producer, under the direction of the Fresh Empire Los Angeles Market Manager (2017 – 2019). The program concluded in January 2020.

Fresh Empire was an FDA funded campaign that launched in 2015 with the goal of preventing and reducing tobacco use among at-risk youth ages 12-17 who identify with hip-hop culture, specifically African American, Hispanic, and Asian American/ Pacific Islander youth. When the campaign launched, nearly 5 million multicultural youth were open to smoking or were already experimenting with cigarettes. To reach this niche group of teens, the campaign associated living tobacco-free with desirable hip-hop lifestyles through a variety of interactive marketing tactics including the use of traditional paid media, engagement through multiple digital platforms, and outreach at the local level.

For more information, visit: https://freshempire.betobaccofree.hhs.gov/

I served as a volunteer, event assistant and participant at the 2008 City of Hope Cancer Walk Fundraising Event at the Headquarters in Duarte, CA.

Founded in 1913, City of Hope is a National Cancer Institute-designated comprehensive cancer center and a founding member of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, making it a national leader in advancing research and treatment protocols.

I served a as a guest speaker for the MGMT 013 – Small Business Entrepreneurship course taught by Prof. Franklin at Los Angeles Trade Tech College. (2019, 2020, 2021). This course provides a systematic approach to developing and operating a successful small business.

Founded in 1925 as the Frank Wiggins Trade School, Trade-Tech is the oldest of the nine public two-year colleges in the Los Angeles Community College District (LACCD).

I served as a guest speaker and presenter for the LMU Doctoral Student class (EDLA 7004 – Prof. Early) to discuss my experience and strategies for incorporating technology and innovation to help advance education.

Founded in 1911, Loyola Marymount University is a top-ranked university committed to fostering a diverse academic community rich in opportunity for intellectual engagement and real-world experience. Our three campuses are rooted in the heart of Los Angeles, a global capital for arts and entertainment, innovation and technology, business and entrepreneurship.

I have served as a guest DJ, Instructor and Speaker at several events organized and produced by CAAASA and their Executive Director Mr. Bonds.

The California Association of African-American Superintendents and Administrators (CAAASA), a group of educational leaders, is committed to identifying and addressing the critical issues in education through public policy relative to the status and performance of African-American students in California. Today, its membership consists of African-American school superintendents, assistant superintendents, directors, and administrators throughout the state of California.

I have served as a guest DJ, Instructor and Mentor for various music education workshops for NABSE events through my work with Mr. Bonds and CAAASA.

The National Alliance of Black School Educators (NABSE) is the nation’s premiere non-profit organization devoted to furthering the academic success for the nation’s children – particularly children of African descent. NABSE boasts an outreach to a distinguished group of preeminent educators including teachers, administrators, superintendents as well as corporate and institutional members.