Young musicians in Memphis got a lesson most producers only dream about. On Saturday, Sept. 26, Stax Music Academy hosted four-time Grammy winner James Fauntleroy for his “Beat Garden” workshop, a free, hands-on afternoon that put real production tools and music technology directly in students’ hands.
Instead of watching from the audience, students got to work alongside a prominent industry name, learning how the gear behind today’s records actually comes together. The day wrapped with a student showcase on Beale Street, giving emerging local talent a stage on the most famous music street in the city.
For organizers, the point was bigger than one workshop. Empowering young creatives now is how Memphis keeps raising the next generation of hitmakers, and it is a tradition that runs straight through Stax’s own history…