Berry Gordy Donates $5 Million To Establish New UCLA Music Center
The Center will educate future generations on the crafts of songwriting and production, as well as partner with primary and secondary schools.
Berry Gordy, the renowned founder of Motown Records, has announced a pledge of $5 million in order to found the UCLA Berry Gordy Music Industry Center in association with the UCLA Herb Alpert School of Music. It is scheduled to open during the 2024-25 academic year.
“I’m thrilled to create a center that provides opportunities for students at UCLA to prepare for careers in the music industry,” Gordy said, in an announcement. “Music is powerful, inspiring, universal, crossing over political, cultural, social and economic barriers. It reaches ALL people and has been the guiding force in my life. These students will be the future innovators, artists, and executives that will lead us through the twenty-first century.”
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The UCLA BGMIC will look to extend and expand upon Gordy’s legacy as a mentor and educator by offering specialized courses on songwriting and production, as well as development of new courses and partnerships with primary and secondary schools.
“I’ve always known Berry as generous and gracious,” said Smokey Robinson in the announcement. “At the start of my career, I benefited from Berry’s mentorship. He was always a teacher at heart. What I love about this center is that it is guided by his philosophy that truly great music comes from nurturing young talent and getting them to think holistically about their art and their careers.”
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