Ludacris works to make Clayton County school a top spot for arts education
The students at a Clayton County charter school recently got a surprise that was simply Ludacris.
The star entertainer visited the Utopian Academy for the Arts to kick off an effort to help students explore their creative side. The Ludacris Foundation is partnering with Microsoft to launch TechTunes, which provides students access to music technology, workshops and a variety of programs. The students will use artificial intelligence as a tool to write songs, produce music and explore other ideas.
Utopian, located in Morrow, was chosen by the foundation as its pilot program because of its arts-focused educational opportunities for students. The school was founded in 2009. Utopian, which has an elementary, middle and high school, has more than 900 students.
“We know that AI is the future when it comes to sound, when it comes to song writing, when it comes to music production, there’s a whole world of endless possibilities and that’s what we’re trying to show them to open their minds to those possibilities,” the rapper and actor told The Atlanta Journal-Constitution.
In recent years, artists and educators have worked more intentionally to increase access and opportunities for arts education in Georgia although research shows a decline in government funding for arts programs. State legislative appropriations to the 56 State and Special Jurisdiction Arts Agencies are projected to decrease 5.8% in FY 2025 to $575.6 million, according to research by the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies.
Artesius Miller, founder and CEO of Utopian Academy Charter School Network, believes the partnership will help the school, which uses project-based learning in music, theater and film production.
“Thanks to the Ludacris Foundation, our scholars will be able to use trailblazing AI through the TechTunes program to develop a better understanding of technological advances in the emerging music and entertainment industries,” Miller said in a statement.
About the Authors
Eric Stirgus joined The Atlanta Journal-Constitution in 2001. He is the newsroom's education editor. Born and raised in Brooklyn, N.Y., Eric is active in the Atlanta Association of Black Journalists and the Education Writers Association and enjoys mentoring aspiring journalists.
