ne wso bse rve r.co m
http://www.newso bserver.co m/2014/04/16/3789354/rb-singer-ushers-music-leadership.html
R&B singer Usher’s music leadership program debuts in Wake County By Mechelle Hankerso n
8th-graders at Wendell Middle School participate in a game of "Z ip, Z ap, Z op," which was meant to show them how important it is to f ocus and pay attention. It was one of several activities instructors of R&B singer Usher's New Look f oundation taught the students. MECHELLE HANKERSON — mhankerson@newsobserver.com |Buy Photo
WENDELL — A presentation punctuated by impromptu rap battles introduced Wendell Middle School eighth-graders on Wednesday to a new Wake County program — backed by R&B star Usher — that looks at careers in the music industry. T he students got a taste of the Music Industry Leadership 101 curriculum developed by Usher’s youth organization, New Look Foundation, that will be the f oundation f or a new career pathway f or high schoolers in the Wake County school system. Wake is introducing the program this week to Wendell Middle and the Wake Young Men’s Leadership Academy. T he program will also be piloted at eight other Wake schools: Holly Ridge Middle School; Cary, Enloe, East Wake, Heritage, Millbrook, Phillips and Southeast Raleigh high schools.
If all goes as planned, said Marlo Gaddis, the school system’s director of instructional technology and library media services, Wake County will of f er the f ull program by the 2015-16 school year. Wake is one of six districts nationally, and the only one in North Carolina, that’s piloting Usher’s program. “We have a unique opportunity in Wake right now that we can take and be a part of this initial team,” Gaddis said about f inessing the curriculum that will f ollow Music Leadership 101. “You don’t always have the opportunity to be a creator on the f ront end.” During the 2014 academic year, Gaddis said, the program will be used as supplemental material while the state Department of Public Instruction certif ies the complete career pathway f or a high school career and technical education program. “T his is something (current middle schoolers) should look f orward to and start seeing in their classwork,” she said. Meeting students half way Getting students engaaged, though, seems to be the easiest part of the new program. Shawn Wilson, president of New Look, said the curriculum was developed with students’ interests in mind. “We’ve taken a traditional marketing course and wrapped it around music because that’s where (students’) interests are,” Wilson said. “Talking about brands of artists like Usher, Jay-Z and Beyoncé is more f ascinating to kids and, to be honest, more relevant to them than talking about other brands that really have no relevance in their lives.” In a morning session with New Look trainers, Wendell Middle 8th-graders did basic brand analysis by talking about celebrities like Oprah and f ormer “American Idol” judge, Simon Cowell. T he session also got students thinking about their own personal brand – a lesson Gaddis said she’s excited to see worked into the f ull curriculum. “One of the things that excited me as much as everything else is the constant reminder of your digital f ootprint,” she said. “T hey’re really talking about your brand and how that f its in.” Wilson said the program will also emphasize “sof t skills,” like speaking in f ront of crowds, another lesson New Look trainers imparted on students in the f orm of “Expressions.” During “Expressions,” students could perf orm a talent in f ront of their classmates, a practice that Wilson said is done repeatedly in the Music Leadership program. By the time students become alumni of the program, Wilson said, they should f eel comf ortable giving prof essional presentations or be a leader in other group settings. T he Usher connection T he short sample of the class was well-received by students like Cameryn Crise, who sang f or her classmates during “Expressions.” She said she sings f or f un and always wanted to pursue it in the f uture, but wasn’t too sure she could build a career on it. T he presentation, which f eatured the roles of all kinds of prof essionals in the entertainment industry, reminded her “you can do anything with your talent,” she said.
For other students, like Kevonne Woods, it just reinf orced existing goals. Woods said he would consider pursuing the pathway in high school, but ultimately, he wants to be a prof essional basketball player or an engineer. Woods said one of the things that made him most excited about the program was the connection to R&B singer Usher, although Wilson said that connection is just a hook f or students. “I think celebrities bring something very important to education,” Wilson said. “T hey have the ability to endorse education. If they can endorse a car or sof t drink or f ood or clothing line, why can’t they endorse education?” But Wilson is quick to make sure students and instructors aren’t expecting any visits f rom Usher himself . “When a celebrity endorses a shirt, you don’t expect the celebrity to come and put the shirt on you,” he said. Hankerson: 919-829-4826; Twitter: @easternwakenews Copyright © 2014 www.newsobserver.com and wire service sources. All Rights Reserved. http://www.newsobserver.com