22Visionz Entertainment Founder Terran "T-Ran" Gilbert headlined a tour of a different kind in Nashville. He teamed up with the Pathway Young Adults Program to host high school students from Chattanooga on a career planning tour in the Music City.
The purpose of the tour, Mr. Gilbert said, was to give the students an opportunity to speak with music business executives, professional recordings artists and audio engineering instructors to gain knowledge for career and education planning.
“This was a way to engage the students in a more intimate setting to explore the other options for a career in music,” said William Ward, founder and executive director of Pathway Young Adults Program.
Pathway provides at-risk youth at Brainerd High School, ages 15 to 18, with mentorship and tutoring. In addition, program participants receive a $1 a day stipend to reward them for regularly attending school.
He said that some of the students had never traveled outside of Chattanooga until this trip.
Mr. Gilbert, a Chattanooga native, led the students to Nashville’s Music Row, where they visited the SAE Institute, which offers courses in audio technology and music business. The students learned the types of classes available for those pursuing a secondary education in the music field.
They also visited the Rocketown studio and entertainment complex, where the students gained hands-on experience in music production and song writing from professional music producers. While there, they produced and recorded their own original song.
The tour also included lunch at Fresh To Order and dinner at the Hard Rock Café Nashville, which, Mr. Ward said, was quite exciting for the students.
Mr. Gilbert began singing professionally at the age of 13 and started his own record label in 2007. He wanted the students to see the many different career options for them in the music industry.
“I just wanted to use the platform that I’ve been given in music to give back to my hometown,” Mr. Gilbert said.