Media Inquiries:

Dantes Rameau

Co-Founder & Executive Director | 203-887-5108 | dantes@atlantamusicproject.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

ATLANTA MUSIC PROJECT OPENS NEW CENTER FOR PERFORMANCE AND EDUCATION IN SOUTHWEST ATLANTA

RIBBON-CUTTING & CONCERT HOSTED BY FRED BLAKENSHIP AND FEATURED PERFORMANCE BY GRAMMY-WINNING RECORDING ARTIST LECRAE


Cutting the ribbon. L to R front row: Chanel 2 Anchor Fred Blakenship, executive director of Atlanta Mayor’s Office of Cultural Affairs Camille Love, Trustee Chestnut Family Foundation Teresa Chestnut, co-founder and director of choir Aisha Moody, co-founder and executive director Dantes Rameau, board chair Phil Juravel, Atlanta District 12 Councilmember Joyce Sheperd, recording artist Lecrae, board member Steve Wadley, Cricket Wireless director of communications Erica Crossling.

(Atlanta, GA) (May 28, 2019) – Last Wednesday May 22 the Atlanta Music Project (AMP) celebrated the grand opening of its first ever headquarters space, the Atlanta Music Project Center for Performance and Education. Located in the Capitol View neighborhood at 883 Dill Ave SW Atlanta, GA 30310, the AMP Center houses a 150-seat performance hall, 10 rehearsal rooms, and the organization’s administrative offices. The AMP Center is the result of a five-month, $900,000 renovation of a former grocery store. AMP has signed a 12-year lease to occupy the building.

(Atlanta, GA) (May 28, 2019) – Last Wednesday May 22 the Atlanta Music Project (AMP) celebrated the grand opening of its first ever headquarters space, the Atlanta Music Project Center for Performance and Education. Located in the Capitol View neighborhood at 883 Dill Ave SW Atlanta, GA 30310, the AMP Center houses a 150-seat performance hall, 10 rehearsal rooms, and the organization’s administrative offices. The AMP Center is the result of a five-month, $900,000 renovation of a former grocery store. AMP has signed a 12-year lease to occupy the building.

The Atlanta Music Project Center for Performance & Education.

Attended by more than 150 people, the grand opening included a reception, a ribbon-cutting ceremony, and a concert featuring two-time Grammy-winning recording artist Lecrae. Lecrae performed his song Blessings accompanied by the AMP Youth Senior Orchestra and Choir. The concert was hosted by Channel 2 News Anchor Fred Blakenship. The concert also included fireside chats between Blankenship and AMP students and parents, and a performance by the AMP Faculty Piano Trio.

Following his performance with AMP students at the ribbon-cutting, Lecrae stated “The Atlanta Music Project is a needed asset in the Atlanta community. They are literally shaping the future of music, arts, and culture of the world, right from our own backyard.”

Lecrae performing his song Blessings, with the Atlanta Music Project Senior Youth Orchestra and Choir.

Founded in 2010, AMP provides intensive, tuition-free music education for undeserved youth. AMP teaches classes during the after-school hours at recreation centers and schools. Students that demonstrate talent and commitment will be able to audition for programming at the AMP Center for Performance and Education. This includes the AMP Youth Orchestras and Choirs, the AMP Academy, which provides one-on-one music instruction, conducting classes, and composition classes. AMP students will also be able to use the AMP Center for individual practice sessions.

As a community music school, the AMP Center will open its doors to Atlanta by regularly hosting concerts by world-renowned guest artists, AMP faculty, and students. Masterclasses, panels, screenings and lecutres will take place.  In the future AMP students will host concerts for seniors and music ensembles for amateur adults will be launched.

“After nine years of hard work by everyone involved in the Atlanta Music Project, from students to board members and teaching artists to parents, we are grateful to Atlanta’s philanthropic community for supporting our dream of establishing a home in the community we serve, said AMP co-founder and executive director Dantes Rameau. He continued “we’re honored to have been welcomed into the Capitol View neighborhood and look forward to being a positive vehicle for the arts and youth development.”

The performance hall at the Atlanta Music Project Center for Performance and Education

AMP launched The Next Movement Capital Campaign in July of 2018 with the goal of raising $2.89MM to support the buildout of the AMP Center, establish cash reserves, launch an endowment, and purchase new instruments and concert uniforms. The campaign is currently at 95% of goal with donations and pledges totalling $2.74MM. Lead gifts were made by the Chestnut Family Foundation, the Chick-fil-A Foundation and Steve and Jill Wadley. Other donors include the Atlanta Music Project Board of Directors, the Community Foundation for Greater Atlanta, Georgia Power Foundation, Home Depot Foundation, Molly Blank Fund, Scott Hudgens Foundation, The Zeist Foundation, and the Tull Charitable Foundation.

L to R: Recording artist Lecrae, co-founder executive director Dantes Rameau, co-founder and director of choirs Aisha Moody, board chair Philip M. Juravel, Chanel 2 News Anchor Fred Blakenship

The architectural firm on the AMP Center project was Atelier 7 LLC and the general contractor was Horizon Construction Company. Pro bono legal services were provided to AMP by Sheley, Hall & Williams, P.C., and pro bono project management was provided by the Chick-fil-A Foundation.

About the Atlanta Music Project

Founded in 2010, the Atlanta Music Project is a non-profit organization providing more than 5,000 hours annually, of intensive, tuition-free music education for underserved youth right in their neighborhood. Now serving 350 students through eight programs, AMP provides all its students with an instrument, a teaching artist, and classes in band, orchestra and choir. In addition to four after-school learning sites, AMP’s program include: the AMP Academy, providing advanced musical training to AMP’s most talented and dedicated students; the AMP Summer Series, a music festival and school; and the new launched AMP Youth Choirs & Orchestras.

AMP music ensembles perform more than 40 concerts annually, performing in venues all across Atlanta, from community centers to Mercedes-Benz Stadium. AMP music ensembles have performed alongside international stars such as the Harlem Quartet, electric violinist Lindsey Stirling, pianist Terrence Wilson, soprano Alison Buchanan, and R&B singer Monica. AMP musicians can be seen performing with rapper T.I. on NPR’s Tiny Desk concert series. AMP’s young musicians have successfully auditioned for Georgia All-State ensembles, the Atlanta Opera, and have concertized as far away as Los Angeles, Aspen and Mexico City.

AMP is a 2018 winner of Emory University’s Martin Luther King Jr. Community Service Award. In 2016 and 2017 the White House named AMP one of the top 50 after-school arts programs in the nation.

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