Roland Corporation, a world leader in electronic musical instruments, partnered with 4x GRAMMY award-winning songwriter James Fauntleroy to host a Beat Garden for foster youth through Open Your Doors Dream Week in May, supported by the National Football League (NFL).
Each year, Open Your Doors creates opportunities for foster youth around Los Angeles to explore careers across the entertainment industry. Roland and Fauntleroy’s Beat Garden, hosted at Laboratory Studio in Burbank, marked one of several stops with the acclaimed musician, joined by rapper Hit Boy, hosting a total of 10 foster youth to discuss music production careers and offer hands-on beatmaking with tools like the iconic Roland SP-404MKII sampler and TR-8S drum machine, as well as pocket-sized products from the AIRA Compact line.
Fauntleroy has championed music education for years. His initial idea for Beat Garden stemmed from an experience he had growing up, which he largely credits for his successful career today. By creating an inviting space for youth to explore their creativity, he is planting the seed for future generations of creators. Further cementing his goals, he recently launched All NEW, a cutting-edge platform dedicated to providing opportunities for underrepresented creatives.
“Supporting the next generation of musicians has always been a huge passion of mine, and it was an honor to be able to speak with several similarly-minded foster youth this week,” James Fauntleroy said. “If history is any indication, beatmaking’s future visionaries are coming from all types of backgrounds, which is one of the things that makes this industry so powerful. I’m excited to continue providing these types of opportunities to underserved communities through my partnerships with Roland and the NFL Media, along with my program All NEW.”
“We’re proud to support the incredible work Open Your Doors is doing and to help create meaningful moments like this one,” said Seth Dudowsky, NFL Head of Music. “It’s inspiring to see young people embrace the opportunity, especially when guided by an artist like James, who genuinely cares about the next generation. These are the kinds of partnerships we’re excited to grow.”
Open Your Doors Dream Week concludes on Friday, May 16. For more information about Open Your Doors and its initiatives, visit openyourdoors.org.
