Maya Mereaux, (top left to bottom right), JONAH, Nia Tone, Kynzi, Caleb Shumake, Chase Plato, Mesha Monique, C3, Isis Damil, Denae
Music accelerator program Motown Accelerator has unveiled the 10 local artists and managers selected for its first six-week program in Detroit. Selected artists are Caleb Shumake, Chase Plato, C3, Denae, Isis Damil, JONAH, Kynzi, Nia Tone, Maya Mereaux and Mesha
Monique. Participating managers are Brittani Darcelle, Porsche Parham, Aaliyah Noelle, Jade
Gallant, Chris Simpson, Takayla Patterson, Amber Boone, Alicia Aloisi, Robert Mitchell and
Stephen Oh.
Motown Accelerator is a grant-based musician and manager accelerator program led by Director Suai Kee, a former Motown Records artist. Motown Accelerator is a program of gener8tor Music, which also operates in Milwaukee. The artists and managers selected for the
six-week Detroit program received a $500 grant and consideration for Motown Accelerator’s 12-week program, which includes a $25,000 grant for artists and a $5,000 grant for managers.
“This year’s accelerated music industry curriculum is simplifying the often confusing road to stardom. A program like this doesn’t exist anywhere else. We’re teaching emerging Detroit artists how to understand and navigate the evolving music industry and run their careers as profitable businesses,” Kee said. “Every week, in one-on-one meetings with the artists and managers, I’m discussing strategy, reviewing songs and helping them plan out releases. You can’t Google this type of mentoring. It’s so rewarding being at the helm of a program making a difference in artists’ lives.”
The 20 participants were selected from an applicant pool of 300 Detroit-area artists and managers through a rigorous four-stage judging process that included listening sessions and interviews with local tastemakers and national industry professionals and virtual studio sessions.The program kicked off on May 10 and since then, the artists have been working one-on-one
with the Motown Accelerator team.
Motown Accelerator will conclude with an artist showcase on August 28. It will be free and open
to the public. For more information visit Motownaccelerator.com.
