E4 Youth Music Legacy Project

Some Austin area students are singing a new tune after the chance of a lifetime recently. Thanks to the E4 Youth Music Legacy Project they got to go into a recording studio to work alongside Grammy Award winning artists.

It was an opportunity teens Eric Torres from Lanier High School and Chris McDaniel from Manor High School didn't take for granted.

"This is my first time in a studio and it's amazing. I see monitors everywhere. The rooms are beautiful and it's a very good vibe," Torres said.

McDaniel agreed. "That's why it's so great to be in a studio. There's no distractions and you can focus on the creative content.

Carl Settles is the founder and executive director. His mission? To bridge the gap between underserved youth and creative arts careers.

"These students kicked off the process, had a cultural historian talk about African American history in Austin and to get these students to have their own perspective on history," Settles said.

The goal is to produce an EP alongside Grammy Award winning artists.

Chaka Mpeanaji from Riders Against the Storm oversees the project. "They are the future. Everything they are doing is light years ahead of me."

For the ten students participating, it's about more than just the music.

"It's a business and we're trying to help these kids understand how do you turn your passion into a business that's going to help you feed your family." Settles says.

"This experience is an education. That's what E4 Youth is about some people with privilege have that chance, some with other backgrounds don't so this is a great chance. They are beginning to walk, " Mpeanaji says.

The students had to audition to be a part of the project. The EP record will debut next month. Music videos along with a documentary film will also be released.

You can get more information here.