Music Forward doesn’t just produce content for our broad global audiences. We also partner with specific community organizations and schools to ensure our programming is getting to the young people who need it the most! This month we want to highlight Los Angeles Valley College (LAVC) as one such partnership. We caught up with Dr. Christian Nova, a Professor of Music and Chair of the Music Department at the college, to let us know all about their Music Forward connection
How did your school become connected with Music Forward?
Growing up in and around Southern California, I had of course heard of The House of Blues. When I discovered the Music Forward Foundation and heard that they were looking to create educational partnerships, I jumped at the chance. And, as an added bonus, I learned that I already knew the Executive Director of HOB/MF, Nurit Siegel Smith! It’s a small world!!
How does your school engage with Music Forward? What programs do you utilize most?
We were at All Access Fest in 2019 at The Wiltern, which was an amazing event. There were so many students present, and we were able to share a lot of information about our program at Valley College. We also took a few students with us to the event, and they were blown away! So far post-covid we had a Resume Workshop with Oswaldo Navarro from MF, and my students are already asking me when he’ll be coming back for another one. We are also hoping to have larger, in-person industry panels in the Fall of 2022.
What are the most important aspects of the music industry your students need to understand? How does Music Forward support that message?
Our students need help learning the soft skills that are necessary to make them successful in the music industry. Music Forward has so many great programs, internships, mentorships, and workshops that support just that!
Why do you think organizations like Music Forward are important partners in your work?
For us (a community college), we don’t have the kind of budget that we could use to produce this kind of content ourselves. Having Music Forward as a resource for our students is invaluable!
What aspects of the partnership with Music Forward have been most beneficial for your students?
Just getting access to music industry professionals that they thought they would never get to meet.
How does your own passion for music/the music industry impact your work?
I’m a music professor, so the impact is kind of obvious!!
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