NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A Nashville Talent Management Company is helping undiscovered artists make their mark in the music industry.
AGD Entertainment, along with Notes for Notes, a non-profit that puts music studios in schools, have offered two scholarships this summer to help students learn about the biz.
Nicolas Edgerson or Legendary Nedge is a rapper and MTSU student who won a full scholarship to AGD's zero to 60 program. Zero to 60 by AGD is a day-to-day management service that provides strategy development for recording artists.
The ZT60 scholarship tagline is "Imagination Into Action," and encompasses the motivated artist or the aspiring musician who dreams big and invests in themselves Edgerson is a rapper from Atlanta and currently attends MTSU. He will get a personal coach and nine-months of campaign support to release an album.
On why the ZT60 Scholarship is important, Legendary Nedge says, "I need financial assistance to participate because I am an independent full-time college student at MTSU with student loans that are accumulating to further my education. The only other income I have access to is funded by my part-time job as a waiter at a local restaurant. So I don’t have enough funds to pay for studio time, piano lessons, engineers, and music videos. This program will help me finish projects I have been working on for years and develop more as a recording artist."
AGD President Nathan Dohse says its like a mentorship for new artists teaching them the day to day of the business, marketing, branding and performance.
"We believe that motivated artists should have the opportunity to succeed," said Dohse. "Finances should not be the main cause preventing success as an artist. We are thrilled to be able to offer AGD’s services to support them in their creativity to reach their full potential as artists."
Partial Scholarship recipient Damon McKinney aka "Tae" says he has been greatly influenced by Pharrell Williams, and his sound has evolved from pop into a Jazz/Hip Hop influenced sound over the years. His dad got him a drum set when he was two, and he started taking music seriously at 13.
"I really began my journey in music when I was in the 6th grade when I started going to the Notes for Notes studio (in Nashville) and was introduced to the art and craft of creating music," he says. "It felt really awesome knowing that I was about to start on this path. I'm just really looking forward to helping those who helped me, coming up with those who support me and support them and making music for people to enjoy."
But anyone can come in and talk to one of their coaches for free career strategy advice.
Dohse says after they talk about artist projects and where they are in the process, a team member will send them an outline and if they are interested in the scholarship application you can get information on that and if you want to hire the team we can get you start dates. All of their slots are full for June and July, but you can still sign up for August and September.
