ATLANTA - Marylandian -- "As the co-founders of Grow Your World, we are incredibly proud to invite the Atlanta community and our local media partners to witness the powerful work our young people have been creating this session. Our program is built on connection, creativity, and giving youth a safe space to express themselves through the arts. We welcome you to join us as we celebrate their voices, their stories, and their growth."

Grow Your World Inc., in collaboration with Patchwerk Recording Studios, announced the expansion of the Youth Audio Collective (YAC), an innovative program giving young creators real-world exposure to every facet of the music business through hands-on sessions that foster creativity, collaboration, and connection.

Fresh off a successful end-of-2024 launch with Makin' It Studios, Grammy-nominated producer Major 88 Keys, and creative director Gnarly Cyn, the Youth Audio Collective is excited to announce its growth into 2025 with $25,000 grant support from Fulton Co.'s Community Service Program award, offering educational music, production, and engineering resources for Atlanta youth.The Youth Audio Collective is powered in part by students from SCAD and Morehouse who are interning with Grow Your World.

"I didn't initially grow up with therapy. I grew up with music," shares Grow Your World's Co-Founder and Co-Executive Director Soteria Shepperson. "Music has continued to serve as a modality of healing, direction and guidance in my life. What better way to continue that legacy than to partner with a place that recorded and produced so much of the music I love?"

This phase of the program officially kicked off at Patchwerk Recording Studios on October 11th, welcoming its first cohort of students, ages 11–24, for a two-weekend, hands-on learning experience inside Atlanta's legendary Patchwerk Studios, free of charge for families.

From 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. each weekend, students collaborated in four creative teams, experiencing the full lifecycle of music creation. Together, they wrote hooks and verses (on a track produced by Grammy Award-winning producer Troy Taylor and Grammy nominated producer Alec Appolloni), recorded, shot photos and a video with Simone R. Kilgore, and designed a marketing rollout plan to share their art with the world.

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The first cohort concluded with a final showcase on October 19th, where each team proudly presented their finished projects to friends and family demonstrating not only their artistry but also their new understanding of music entrepreneurship, branding, and collaboration.

Program Instructors

• Troy Taylor – Songwriting & Song Structure
• Simone Kilgore – Photography & Videography
• Luther Banks – Recording & Production
• Dasha Ware – Business & Entrepreneurship

"We're honored to partner with Grow Your World Inc. to inspire and equip young creators with the tools to succeed in music—not just as performers, but as producers, engineers, marketers, and entrepreneurs," said Dasha Ware, Program Curriculum Creator and an Instructor in the Youth Audio Collective.

Continuing the Mission

The Youth Audio Collective reflects Patchwerk's long-standing commitment to community impact and music education. YAC is one of many of Grow Your World's programs that bridges the gap between creativity and opportunity, empowering youth with practical skills, mentorship, and access to professional environments that spark innovation.

Co-Founders Soteria Shepperson and Sophie Suberman brought Grow Your World to Atlanta after a successful run in North Carolina, where they've raised over $300K and facilitated over 3,000 hours of youth mentorship annually. In August 2025, Grow Your World sponsored ATL Hip Hip Day Festival's Youth Hour, where twenty-five performers ages 7-24 were featured. The Youth Audio Collective promises to be an invaluable service for youth and families in Atlanta, providing critical resources to those who need it most, and empowering the next generation of young Atlanta musicians and producers.

The final 2025 cohort began November 8th, welcoming a new group of young visionaries ready to learn, build, and express themselves through music and media. After this cohort completes on November 16, Grow Your World will need more funding to continue offering this program free to those who need it, as their application for Opioid Settlement Funding for 2026 was unsuccessful.

1. Youth Audio Collective at Patchewerk Studios: Explore how we're empowering youth through music production and creative collaboration.
• Day 1 Recap Video
• Day 2 Recap Video
• Day 3 Recap Video
• Day 4 Recap Video

Students Final Projects:

• Fabulous Four, Flex. Music video
• RAK, Let's Ride. Music video
• JJJ, Pick Up The Pace
• 3 Muskateers Loving You

Interested partners and investors are encouraged to reach out directly to Grow Your World's Co-Executive Directors at 919-378-1392 or sophie@growyourworld.org, or donate on their website. Learn more about Grow Your World's programs in Georgia and beyond at www.growyourworld.org.

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The Youth Audio Collective is proudly funded by Fulton County's 2025 Community Service Programs Grant.

ABOUT GROW YOUR WORLD, INC.

Grow Your World Inc. is a youth-centered community building nonprofit organization providing mentorship and access to arts, academics, and career exploration in Georgia, North Carolina, Virginia and beyond.

Since its inception in 2019, Grow Your World has served over 5,000 young people and college students, providing social-emotionally enriching hands-on learning experiences, mentorship and career development.

ABOUT PATCHWERK RECORDING STUDIOS

Founded in 1995, Patchwerk Recording Studios is one of the most respected recording facilities in the country, home to iconic sessions for artists including Outkast, Beyoncé, Ludacris, and T.I.

Contact Information
Grow Your World, Inc.
Sophie Suberman and Soteria Shepperson
Co-Executive Directors
Phone: 919-378-1392
Email: sophie@growyourworld.org