We are excited to announce that a proposal written by Education Department faculty member Jeff Claus, working with numerous community partners, has just been funded by the Rockefeller Foundation, to create a digital recording studio program for youth at the Southside Community Center, where Claus is on the board. The program, to be called Unity Studio, or the US Program, will provide afterschool and summer instruction and experience designed to engage youth in highly motivating, culturally relevant learning activities that lead to digital music production and recording skills as well as constructive personal, social, artistic, academic, career, and communication skill development.
Southside Community Center is the recipient of the grant, and community partners include: Ithaca College’s Education Department and Schools of Music and Communications; the Greater Ithaca Activities Center; The Village at Ithaca (a community initiative to address the education gap in Ithaca); the Ithaca Youth Bureau’s Youth Employment Service; Pyramid Sound Studios; Electric Wilburland Studio; REP Studio; the Community Unity Music, Media, and Arts Program; the Cornell University Public Service Center; WICB Radio; Ithaca City School District; and many Ithaca musicians, recording engineers, and film/television composers and filmmakers who have substantial recording and production experience and credits and who will serve as guest instructors and advisors for the program. Ithaca College faculty and students will work as program assistants and consultants.
