MUSIC ASCENSION’S PARTNERSHIP WITH THE FEDCAP GROUP & WILDCAT SERVICE CORP.

As a division of the 501 c(3) The Fedcap Group, a nonprofit that develops innovative, sustainable solutions to advance the economic well-being of the impoverished and disadvantaged, Wildcat Service Corp has devoted the last 48 years to bringing vocational and creative resources to youth, adults, and communities who have indirectly and directly been affected by the criminal justice system.

Music Ascension has partnered with The Fedcap Group for the last decade providing full year music programming to students with Special Needs at the Fedcap School in West Orange, NJ. In Summer 2019 we expanded our partnership to provide programming and support to the young people served by the City of New York’s Summer Youth Employment Program (SYEP) through Wildcat Service Corp. This summer music program was funded by the NYC Department of Youth and Community Development as part of their WORKFORCE CONNECT outreach program.

Our impactful partnership with the WIldcat Service Corp and the Fedcap Group is based upon our shared fundamental belief that our young peoples’ voices, especially those who navigate great challenges, deserve to be heard.

We invite you to listen to this powerful collection of original songs WILDCAT ALBUM 2019 written & recorded during the 2019 SYEP in NYC. as well as an original music video Never Giving Up filmed in Newark NJ which features an original song written & performed by students at the Fedcap School.

I also invite you to a TEDx Talk I gave about the power of  Giving Voice which features the lyrics and music of some of the young people we’ve had the honor of working over the last 20 plus years.

As you already know and have so generously funded our programming, Music Ascension has specialized in giving voice to young people through our Songwriting & Recording program. We’ve facilitated and produced thousands of songs and over 100 albums written entirely by our youth.

Our team of Teaching Artists, Music Producers, Music Educators and Songwriters bring seasoned professional experience, their own unique artistry, passion, compassion and humanity to this work in equal measure.  With great sensitivity and respect for each participant, our staff helps to draw out and facilitate the songwriting process, transforming young people’s stories and experiences into lyrics and melodies, rhythms and rhymes.  The act of infusing a young person’s stories with these creative elements can breathe life into what is so often indescribable within them and around them. 

We’ve witnessed how the power of giving voice to their hopes, their anger, their grief, their rage, their inner knowing, their wisdom, their reality through creative avenues has transformed them. Transformed their experiences. Transformed those around them. And indeed saved their lives.

OUR VISION FOR THE WILDCAT STUDIO & LIVE PERFORMANCE SPACE

There is tremendous potential at WILDCAT SERVICE CORP’s NYC office to create a multi-faceted creative and live event/presentation space where young people can discover, develop, and share their original work. This facility will offer after-school music programming, weekend music workshops, and provide a live event space for youth to perform and will include the following spaces designed by Music Ascension:

1. CONTROL ROOM

2. VOCAL BOOTH

3. LIVE ROOM /STAGE

4. PERFORMANCE SPACE (75 person capacity)

5. EDITING STUDIOS for our MUSIC PRODUCTION APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAM

6. PRESENTATION / WORKSHOP / CONFERENCING SPACE

MUSIC ASCENSION’S FUNDING REQUEST:

We gratefully ask the Hildegarde D. Becher Foundation to consider supporting the purchase of the following recording equipment which will serve as the creative and technology epicenter of the entire studio!

THE PRIMARY DIGITAL AUDIO WORKSTATION (DAW) - this is the beating heart of the recording studio and will reside in the CONTROL ROOM! The DAW will be equipped with industry standard music production platforms Pro Tools, Logic, Ableton, & Reason. At the primary DAW, participants will learn professional recording and editing techniques as they work to record and produce original lyrics and music. The vocational training provided by our Teaching Artists, who are professional musicians and music producers, will offer participants the opportunity to work their way into Assistant Engineer job positions at the Wildcat Studio and beyond.

With the support of the Becher Foundation, Music Ascension & Wildcat will be able to provide youth music programming prior to and during the full build out of the Wildcat Studio/Live Event Performance Space. The PRIMARY DAW will thus be put to work ASAP!

Please consider helping us to get this much needed and impactful music programming up and running at 24 Willoughby Street in Brooklyn, NY.