With our Music For Good series, we’re supporting artists making the world a better place through their music. For one-of-a-kind artist and Philadelphia native Tierra Whack, it’s all about showing some love to the youth of Philly.

A good education is what Tierra credits in part for her ability to embrace her unique self and succeed as an artist. She was able to get a music education at the Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush. Since then, she’s supported several Philadelphia schools and has even surprised kids with grants.

Recently, Tierra worked with Philly-based nonprofit FamFrequency Productions to donate some mentorship time to an aspiring music producer. Founded in 2022, FamFrequency provides high school students with skills, resources, and connections to generate income through music production. 
 

Philly-based music producers Jonathan Edwards and Lanisha Otuonye decided to establish FamFrequency to show students that to make a career in music, it’s not just about becoming a famous artist—you can make money through producing, creating soundtracks, and many more industry opportunities.

“I had experience with the arts and what it does to enrich the lives of high schoolers,” Lanisha explains. She wanted to leverage her experience teaching dance and producing for artists to make these opportunities possible for local students. 
 

“For me, it was just seeing a lot of the young people who were really talented in the arts not get the same career support as they would if they were interested in other career paths, like  STEM-related fields,” says Jonathan, who has been an educator for over a decade. “I saw this as a gap.”

Through summer programming on production, marketing, and audio engineering, as well as internship placement with local studios and radio stations, FamFrequency prepares its cohorts for careers in music. Eventually, the organization hopes to expand to serve more than just high schoolers. 
 

For the opportunity with Tierra Whack, FamFrequency selected 15-year-old Lareya—an aspiring music producer and huge Tierra fan—to score a little mentorship time at Retro City Studios in Philly. Lareya played a beat she’s been working on, which Tierra thought was “fire.”

“Lareya’s beats are really great,” Jonathan says. “Honestly, it sounds like something Tierra Whack would be on. For Lareya to be able to see Tierra as a black woman from Philadelphia doing not only music, but being an icon in fashion and embodying that entrepreneurial spirit was a chance for Lareya to see herself in Tierra and bolster her progression in music.” 
 

Jonathan and Lanisha say that the experience has been a confidence booster not only for Lareya, but for her whole cohort. Tierra’s manager, Johnny Montina, also spoke with their cohort, giving the students a deeper perspective on careers in the industry.

“It’s definitely an eye-opening experience,” says Jonathan, “and we’re excited to see how it impacts Lareya moving forward.”

You can check out Lareya’s “fire” beat in this Music For Good story we made about Tierra. 
 

To rally behind Tierra’s cause, support FamFrequency Productions and their mission of cultivating musical entrepreneurs. And check out a couple Cotopaxi Foundation impact partners below focused on equal access to education for all. 
 

How OneGoal Is Closing The Opportunity Gap

OneGoal is a U.S.-based nonprofit that’s helping to close the educational opportunity gap. They do this by creating more equal access to high quality post-secondary advising and support.

The Cotopaxi Foundation has supported two local OneGoal offices (Bay Area, Massachusetts) as a part of their Community Grants program, and is helping fund OneGoal’s national efforts to expand their services across the country as part of the Foundation's long term, strategic Core Grants program.

How The Mona Foundation Is Reducing Poverty Through Education

The Mona Foundation is creating a world where every child has access to education. They also work to specifically address gender equity in education, empowering women and girls to reach their full potential.

The Cotopaxi Foundation supports the Mona Foundation’s efforts to improve gender equity and provide high quality education to girls in Brazil, Guatemala, and Panama. 
 

More Ways To Support Education For All 
 

1. Spread the word. Whether you share social content, comment on social posts, or write a letter to the editor, use your voice to shed light on educational opportunity gaps and what organizations you follow are doing to support equal education access. 
2. Sign petitions advocating for students, scholarships, and educational organizations. 
3. Volunteer as a tutor or mentor in your community with a local organization.
4. Support nonprofits working on this issue by donating, volunteering, or even just following their social channels to stay informed and share their updates. You can follow our impact partners at @onegoalgraduation and @themonafoundation, and check out FamFrequency @famfrequencyphilly