ASCAP JAM
at Mt. Vernon High School

Pictured left to right: Barry Eastmond, Gordon Chambers, ASCAP's Lisa Ganzenmuller, Festival Creative Director Donna Jackson and The Westchester Arts Council's Kelly Jackson.

The JAM Program recently brought two of the most prolific producer/songwriters in the business today to Mt. Vernon High School. ASCAP members Barry Eastmond and Gordon Chambers spoke to the students as part of the Triple Hill Music Festival, a music education program for the youth of Mt. Vernon, New York.

Barry Eastmond has over 60 Gold, Platinum and Multi-platinum albums by some of the biggest names in the music industry. He has worked with and created hit records for Aretha Franklin, Anita Baker, Brandy, Britney Spears, Chaka Khan, Whitney Houston, Vanessa Williams and Barry White to name a few! Gordon Chambers is an eight-time ASCAP Pop Award winner who recently released his sophomore album - Love Stories. He has written for over 60 recording artists including Queen Latifah, Brandy, Gladys Knight, Patti Labelle, The Isley Brothers and Marc Anthony.

Both artists spoke to the students at Mt. Vernon High School about how they got their start in the business, what it takes to make it as a songwriter/producer in the industry today and the craft of songwriting. The songwriters had the students singing and clapping along to some of their tunes and even had some of the students on stage to sing and perform their own music!