Invited guests reflect on the impact of the arts in Birmingham
BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The Woodlawn Foundation, Audiostate 55 Recording Studios, and Berklee College of Music co-hosted a gathering of some of Birmingham’s thought leaders to reflect on the role the arts, and particularly music, may play transforming and enhancing the greater Birmingham community.
The October 9th event was held at the newly remodeled Veranda on Highland restaurant reopening as Gallery and Garden and presented in the “Jeffersonian Meal” format, in which a dozen invited guests from varying backgrounds and industries gather together to discuss a specific topic that’s of interest to the group. This private event was held to support and raise awareness of the Woodlawn Music Technology Program, which is for middle through high school age students to build awareness of the technology used in music production and recording engineering using the state-of-the-art recording studios and music tech labs at Audiostate 55 and the Woodlawn Music Tech Lab.
Since 2013, Audiostate 55 Recording Studios and the Woodlawn Music Technology Program have been members of the exclusive Berklee City Music Network, a nonprofit education initiative that harnesses the energy of contemporary music to reach underserved students across the country. Through BCMN, students and teachers have access to the Berklee PULSE Music Method and students are eligible to receive scholarships to attend Berklee’s Five-Week Summer Performance Program, and ultimately Berklee College of Music. To date, two Audiostate 55 students have received City Music Summer Scholarships and one has received a City Music College Scholarship.
Woodlawn Foundation is the lead organization for the Woodlawn United comprehensive community change effort. Having a lead organization is one of the unique features of the Purpose Built Communities holistic revitalization model. Woodlawn Foundation focuses solely on the shared vision of Woodlawn United partners and works to: improve communications among partners, eliminate duplication of efforts, and leverage resources.
Audiostate 55 Recording Studios & Entertainment Company is a premier state-of-the art facility located in the heart of Birmingham’s Woodlawn Business District. The company’s world-class team of engineers and arrangers has produced for many notable award-winning artists and record companies such as Stevie Wonder, the Neville Brothers, Chaka Kahn, and American Idol winners Ruben Studdard and Carrie Underwood. Audiostate 55’s founder and president, Dr. Henry Panion, III, created The Woodlawn Music Tech program to provide an opportunity for elementary through high school age students to gain exposure to and awareness of the technology used throughout the entertainment industry and to allow them opportunities to gain real-world experiences that can lead to rewarding college and career opportunities.
Berklee College of Music was founded on the revolutionary principal that the best way to prepare students for careers in music is through the study and practice of contemporary music. For more than 65 years, the college has evolved to reflect the state of the art of music and the music business, leading the way with the world’s first baccalaureate studies in jazz, rock, electric guitar, film scoring, songwriting, turntables, electronic production, and more than a dozen other genres and fields of study. Berklee serves distance learners worldwide through its award-winning online extension school, Berklee Online. The college’s national after school music program for underserved teens, the Berklee City Music Network, is in 30 cities and counting. A new campus in Spain, Berklee in Valencia, began hosting the college’s first graduate programs in the fall of 2012. With a diverse and talented student body representing more than 100 countries, and alumni and faculty that have collectively won more than 305 Grammys and Latin Grammys, Berklee is the world’s premier learning lab for the music of today – and tomorrow.
