Q&A
Program expansion plans and alumni feedback
1:11:21
ยท
5 min
Council Member Rivera inquires about plans for expanding the B-Side program and asks for feedback from program alumni. Ayanna Cole and program participants share their thoughts on future developments and personal experiences.
- Plans to develop an intermediate level program with specific career tracks
- Efforts to include justice-impacted youth through partnerships with ACS and correctional health services
- Alumni suggestions for a final project or benefit concert
- Ongoing alumni engagement through a council or committee
- Personal reflections on the program's impact and hopes for future expansion
Carlina Rivera
1:11:21
That's incredible.
1:11:23
So you I know you're you wanna ensure that that 2 thirds of funding is is coming in.
1:11:30
Would you I guess, do you have plans for expanding the program, or are you just trying to maintain what is?
1:11:35
And and I'd also like to hear just from would you call yourselves alumni?
1:11:40
Alright.
1:11:40
So from the alumni, you know, what you'd like to see the program do, like, maybe expand.
1:11:45
I'm sure you maybe you tell friends or other artists about it, and how competitive it is to get in considering know, it's not it's an expensive program to run for a good purpose, of course.
Ayanna Cole
1:11:56
I'll start with the last one first.
1:11:59
We it is a business program, and it's not a music program.
1:12:02
So I wanna make sure that we're representing it in a way that a young person could have no experience, zero experience, still apply for the program.
1:12:10
We're looking for young people who are curious.
1:12:12
We happen to have amazing musicians who apply, and we are totally welcoming them as well.
1:12:17
But you do not have to have any music experience to apply.
1:12:20
You just need to be curious about careers in the business side of the music industry.
1:12:25
Yes.
1:12:25
We are looking and in the current plans to expand.
1:12:28
We're scaffolding.
1:12:29
So right now, both gentlemen, sitting next to me completed our beginner level programming.
1:12:35
So we are in the process of planning an intermediate level program where we can focus more on specific career tracks or paths, and build on what they've already learned and begin to have career direct paths into internships, apprenticeships, and job shadowing opportunities.
1:12:52
So we're working on that currently, and we are, partnering with a, what in the process of collaborating and partnering with an independent music publishing organization that's very interested in working with us and providing those type of internship spaces and helping us to prepare young people for internships.
1:13:10
I think you said one more thing that I've forgotten now.
UNKNOWN
1:13:14
I was
Carlina Rivera
1:13:14
just checking in with alumni, seeing if they had any feed further feedback.
Ayanna Cole
1:13:18
Oh, sorry.
1:13:18
One one last thing.
1:13:19
Thank you.
1:13:20
Cold medicine.
1:13:21
I can't remember stuff.
1:13:22
So, we one last thing that we're we are committed to and have been doing this season, is having very, strategic conversations with our partners at ACS, as well as correctional health services so that we are tapping into young people who are justice impacted.
1:13:45
So in it's happening right now and, as we pick this this cohort of young people.
1:13:50
So that a young person who is just as impacted, we're, creating a pathway for them to be able to apply even if they're in the process of transitioning out of, you know, ACS detention.
1:14:01
So we're currently having creating concrete steps for them to be able to participate.
1:14:06
So that's another part of our expansion.
Dimitri Jackson
1:14:12
So I think something that I I've actually mentioned this to one of the coordinators, miss Lisa, in the back is I think it would be great to see almost some form of, like, a final project at the end of the b side in terms of, you know, you have great musicians.
1:14:30
You have great artists.
1:14:31
You have, people that wanna be A and Rs.
1:14:34
You have people that want to work in a r, a H and R.
1:14:39
So I think it would be amazing to do some kind of, like, almost benefit festival slash concert where you take the talents that you have with the music, and you take these people that are interested in the behind the scenes and the technical, and every aspect of it is covered.
1:14:54
And I think it would be great to show this is all for something and show how everyone can delegate roles to each other.
Carlina Rivera
1:15:01
Cool.
Ian Su
1:15:05
I think it's always hard to, answer this question because I always have ideas for how they could expand, and then they do it without me even asking.
1:15:13
For example, after I finished my program, it was like a week long, I wished that I could reconnect with some of these people, and they started, a council or committee of alumni who would meet together once a week and talk about how the program is going.
1:15:28
We I got to reconnect with some of the people that I met through this program.
1:15:31
So I had a really great experience in that, and I'm glad that I'm still connected to the b side in that way.
1:15:36
They're really good at making sure that if you're if you've been through this program, you stay connected.
1:15:40
But, definitely, the b side is something that I hope everybody who is even interested just a little bit interested in the music industry and business, I hope that they can experience that.
1:15:52
And with, extended funding with all that, I hope that we can expand to more and more people and have the program be even larger scale.
1:15:59
For example, my program was a week long.
1:16:01
They've since moved on to, once a week for, an extended period of months, and I hope that that can continue to be something that keeps growing and reaches more people.
Carlina Rivera
1:16:11
Thank you.
Dimitri Jackson
1:16:11
Is it okay if I just add one more thing to that?
1:16:14
I'm sorry.
1:16:15
I just I just wanna say again, like, I think this is a great program, and it feels like something where, obviously, you need funding, obviously, to make things happen.
1:16:23
But the the most power of this program is kind of just in it in itself.
1:16:29
Like, for me, it was my first time ever stepping foot at Carnegie Hall.
1:16:33
So it kinda does something to you, and you think to yourself, wow.
1:16:38
I'm just a part of something so much bigger than me.
1:16:42
And I think that really speaks for itself, like, when more and more people join the program.
1:16:47
It's like your first day there, you just already feel, like, you know, you're doing the right thing.
1:16:53
So, I hope it continues.