Today, TikTok and After-School All-Stars (ASAS) officially launch the inaugural Songwriting Academy, a designated platform for All-Star students to showcase their distinctive voice and talent by creating original content.
The virtual environment will serve as a safe haven for scholars to explore the creative, technical and business dynamics of the music industry. 13 hand-selected students will receive creative insight and mentorship from industry experts, including: Timbaland, Melanie Martinez, Jack Harlow, Tainy, JetsonMade, DJ Dahi, Jozzy, Tiagz, Ilsey Juber, Anitta, and Mikey Keenan.
“We set out to build a program to give students from under-represented communities the opportunity to be heard and to connect with like-minded individuals in the creative community,” says Daniel Gillick, Senior Manager of Music Content and Label Partnership (TikTok). “Music brings us together and is a powerful creative outlet that is an integral part of TikTok. We are excited to be working with ASAS, Sony/ATV, and the Bandier Program to inspire the next generation of great songwriters, recording artists, industry executives, or even TikTok stars,” he continues.
The Songwriting Academy will introduce a weekly TikTok livestream beginning today at 3pm PST / 6pm EST.
Artists, songwriters and producers are slated to share their own personal accounts of working in the music industry and will also deconstruct the creative process behind some of their biggest songs. “This partnership with TikTok is about giving our students a voice and platform to stand up for themselves and their communities,” says Carlos Santini, EVP of Programs at After-School All-Stars. With some the music industry’s key influences offering perspective to the younger generation, the Songwriting Academy is set out to be a game-changing experience for the musically-inclined and lyrically-astute.
The Songwriting Academy will take place over four weeks, with each week being headlined by one of the academy artists interacting with the students as they work on completing the curriculum. Moreover, the curriculum and faculty for the Songwriting Academy is The Bandier Program, Newhouse School at Syracuse University, ranked one of the top music business programs in the US. “It is the mission of the Bandier program to prepare the next generation of music industry leaders,” says Bill Werde, Director of the Bandier Program for Music Business and the Entertainment Industries.
To join the livestream – tap the TikTok Summer Songwriting Academy banner in TikTok’s Discover page, or simply go to @afterschoolallstars on TikTok.
