AMP x Save The Music Scholarship Programme Opens for Applications

The Association of Music Producers (AMP) has announced that its AMP x Save The Music Scholarship, the advertising music scholarship programme, launched in partnership with the Save The Music Foundation, has opened its application process and is accepting submissions from interested students.

The AMP x Save The Music Scholarship was developed by the association’s Diversity & Inclusion Committee. Its mission is to foster greater awareness among the Black community of the advertising music anwd sound industry and boost access to career opportunities, particularly among diverse underserved youth and student communities in the New York and Los Angeles areas.

The scholarship will cover a 12-week course of online classes given by the prestigious Berklee School of Music in Boston. The courses will run from May 30 to August 20, or from June 26 to September 17, depending on the course that each scholarship pathway recipient chooses. Interested students can apply online here. The deadline for submitting applications is 11.59 pm ET, Friday, April 28. 

To be eligible for the scholarship program, successful candidates must:

▪ Have a demonstrated interest in a career in the music industry;

▪ Identify as Black/African American, Multiracial, or Multiethnic (e.g., Hispanic and Black); 

▪ Be a current US resident or legally able to work in the US;

▪ Be either a current high school student, or have graduated from high school within the last four years;

▪ Currently attend, or have from, a Save The Music affiliated school district (for a full list of affiliated programmes, go here). 

▪ A GPA of 2.5 or higher is preferred, but not required. 

Those interested in the program may apply for one of three pathways: Music Creative and Production; Music Supervision; or Music Business Path.

Applicants for the Music Creative and Production path must reside in the metro New York City/New Jersey or Los Angeles areas. The scholarship recipient(s) chosen for this path will receive: Admission to an online course in Music Production offered by Berklee College of Music; a Music Production Kit including laptop, a professional digital audio workstation (DAW) such as Logic or Ableton; sound sample library, keyboard controller, and audio interface. In addition, they’ll have their resume reviewed by the AMP D&I Committee members, all of whom are professionals at leading advertising music companies, as well as a possible opportunity for an internship in the music industry, contingent on availability.

Founded in 1997, the Association of Music Producers MP) is an organization of industry professionals dedicated to improving the business environment for music and sound creation and curation for ad agencies and brands. It is the only professional trade association that deals directly with music and sound for advertising, as well as sponsored entertainment and sonic branding.

The AMP Diversity & Inclusion Committee was developed during the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement after incidents in the summer of 2020 and those that continue to affect Black lives. The committee developed the AMP x Save The Music Scholarship program with the goal of bridging the gap for interested students of color by helping them obtain a solid foundation of music education, gain levels of exposure to industry professionals that recipients may not have had access to otherwise, and access essential tools to develop skills as future music professionals.

“AMP’s D&I Committee will have achieved success if a young person is inspired to pursue a career in the music industry through these initial educational experiences, and is enabled to do so by the music software and equipment offerings, and the knowledge and insight they gain from their coursework,” says Jennie Armon of Squeak E. Clean Studios, a member of the committee.

“I'm most excited about this program because it took something similar to get myself into the ad industry, which ultimately led me to where I am today in ad music,” adds Adrian Womack of Racket Club. “The greatest reward for me is getting the chance to pay it all forward and help someone possibly discover the perfect career they never would’ve imagined.”

To make a donation for next year’s AMP x Save The Music Scholarship fund, go here. Contributions are fully tax deductible.