More than 40 students from across the country, including seven from D.C. Public Schools, are spending this week at Howard University exploring careers in the music and entertainment industry through the inaugural Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business Summer Program.
The program, which runs through Friday, brings together the D.C. Office of Cable Television, Film, Music & Entertainment and Howard University to provide students with hands-on experience in the music business. Participants receive free tuition, backpacks, textbooks and uniforms.
Students are engaging in what organizers describe as “immersive, tech-forward learning” that emphasizes collaboration and innovation. The curriculum includes direct interaction with entertainment industry professionals and executive-in-residence mentorship.
A highlight of the program takes students to OCTFME’s Studio, housed in the former BET headquarters, where they’ll work inside DC Radio, one of only two municipally owned radio stations in the nation. There, students will interact with radio personalities and learn about both on-air and behind-the-scenes careers in broadcasting.
Industry professionals speaking to students include DJ QuickSilva, WPGC Morning Show host Nori Moss, Emmy Award-winning producers John Avery and GiGi Hinton, DC Radio personalities Troy Pickney and Dion Dove, recording industry veteran Monique Davis-Cary, and television and radio veteran LaToya Foster.
“OCTFME is proud to support Mayor Bowser’s vision of creating meaningful pathways for D.C. youth,” said Foster, who serves as OCTFME director. “Connecting them to Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business supports Mayor Bowser’s growth agenda, gives our youth a real seat at the table in the music industry, and a fair shot at high-paying, non-traditional careers.”
The Warner Music | Blavatnik Center at Howard University positions itself as a national hub for preparing diverse students for leadership in music and media through curriculum, mentorship and certification programs.
“This collaboration underscores our deep commitment to education, empowerment, and community uplift,” said Jasmine Young, director of the Warner Music/Blavatnik Center for Music Business Summer Program. “Together with the District and the greater DMV, we’re building pathways for the next generation of leaders in culture and business.”
The D.C. participants represent seven different high schools: Kimora Bazel from Roosevelt High School, Brooklynne Brown from Calvin Coolidge High School, Amina Collins and Auset Collins from Bell CHEC Multicultural High School, Matias Figueroa from Jackson-Reed High School, Michael Manley from Theodore Roosevelt High School, and Nichols Maya from Roosevelt High School.
“We could not be more excited for our scholars,” said DCPS Chancellor Dr. Lewis D. Ferebee. “Music education in D.C. Public Schools cultivates our students’ ability to create and empowers them to use their voice with courage. We are proud to support them taking part in this impactful partnership and continuing their education and passion for music over the summer break.”