KDFC: Play On, California!

By Jeffrey Freymann, Gail Eichenthal and Zosha Millman

The Lewis Prize for Music began in 2018, supporting organizations that work with young people, using music to help change society. Their “Accelerator Awards” of $500,000 will go to three of the eight finalists that have just been named – and two of them are in California. The RYSE Center in Richmond, and LA’s White Hall Arts Academy both offer kids in underserved communities an opportunity to learn about music and music production in a nurturing environment. The purpose of the Accelerator Awards is to encourage further opportunity: “By supporting music leaders across the country to continue their great work, we hope to inspire other partners to work together to ensure every young person has the opportunity to access transformative music learning, performance, and creation.”