Nashville High Schoolers To Be Mentored By Emerging Black Country Artists

Students at five Metro Nashville public high schools will be mentored in songwriting and business by emerging Black country artists.

The education arm of the Country Music Association is teaming up with the National Museum of African American Music to bring artists like Breland, Willie Jones, Reyna Roberts and Tiera into the classroom to share their stories of breaking into the industry.

The director of the CMA foundation, Tiffany Kerns, says the program will create an educational opportunity that isn’t available in the school curriculum.

“There is a job that exists within songwriting, and they can aspire to be an artist in their hometown,” Kerns says. “We want them to see the depth and the breadth of the music industry as best as they possibly can.”

Kerns sees the partnership as a way to get kids more engaged with school during the pandemic.

“Music has the social-emotional component that we have got to lean into for our students,” Kern says. “If we are not leaning on music and the arts to help them overcome this … we are doing a huge disservice to our students.”

She says this will be one of many efforts by CMA and the NMAAM to foster a more diverse next generation of artists in Nashville.