Sounds Of Success: Newark Youth Get Job Training At Music Studio

NEWARK, NJ — “Education is the passport to the future,” some say. And in Newark, a popular summer work program is giving a big boost to teens and young adults who want to get their foot in the door of the entertainment industry.

Last week, Newark officials and participants in the city’s Summer Youth Employment Program gathered to highlight a new partnership with Galaxy Sound Studios at 89 Market Street (watch the video below).

Through the new partnership, aspiring music professionals can get some valuable hands-on training in sound engineering, recording, television production and acting – which can eventually help them land a job.

Here’s how it works, city officials said:

“Galaxy Sound Studios and Indigo Station LLC are working in tandem to ensure the success of these young people in the arts and entertainment industry. They operate under the direction and with the partnerships and resources of current entertainment industry professionals. Upon completion of the program, participants will receive relevant certifications or equivalent credentials, and embellish their portfolio with their final work product, such as an electronic press kit, music demo or video.”

“I’m so excited to be here because I am working towards being an independent artist as a singer and musician, and this program is teaching me everything that goes into that – the production, song structure, marketing and networking … this is all within eight weeks,” enthused 20-year-old Brea Anderson, who is one of this year’s participants.

“It genuinely doesn’t even feel like work,” Anderson said.

“Education is the passport to the future, for tomorrow belongs to those who prepare for it today,” agreed Tyreek Rolon, the director of the Summer Youth Employment Program.

Newark is becoming a hub for arts and entertainment, with Lionsgate Studios moving to the city and the presence of venues such as the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, Newark Symphony Hall and the Prudential Center.

Major motion pictures and TV shows like “Batman: The Dark Knight Rises,” “Joker,” “The Plot Against America,” “The Sopranos” and its prequel, “The Many Saints of Newark,” have all been filmed in the city.

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SUMMER JOBS IN NEWARK

The partnership with Galaxy Sound Studios is part of a larger ongoing effort: the Newark Summer Youth Employment Program.

The program – which serves youth aged 18 to 24 – offers practical, hands-on training in a wide variety of career fields. Returning programs include Sew with Kali, the Virtual Reality (VR) Program and Remix the Kicks. The city has also created several new programs: Indigo Station LLC (film production), Commercial Driver License (CDL) Prep, Vulcan Pioneers Initiative Program (firefighter prep), and First Lady Linda Baraka’s Financial Literacy Program.

Newark hired 2,100 students under the Summer Youth Employment Program this year, officials said.

Funding comes from a public-private partnership led by the City of Newark, the New Jersey Department of Labor and 19 corporate and philanthropic partners.

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