Veteran music industry executive Rickey Ross founded The Music Education Group (MEG) in 2004, fueled by a desire to use his knowledge of the music industry to help others find opportunities. The organization provides access to music, film, and digital media-based education to youth in underserved communities and prepares them for success in the content creation business. MEG has helped to set up free music studios in low-income neighborhoods, including at the City of Atlanta Dunbar Recreation Center and the Atlanta Public Schools B.E.S.T. Academy.
MEG’s signature programs include Career & Coding Academy (in partnership with Georgia Tech), the Student Engineer Program, and a Master Class. Recognizing the need for more music educators, MEG started a program for teacher training. The organization also runs after-school programs and live showcases for the Atlanta community, serving more than 5,000 youth annually.
MEG became a client of Pro Bono Partnership of Atlanta (PBPA) in 2023 and participated in a Legal Check Up to help identify potential legal needs of the organization. According to James Caldwell, MEG Executive Director, “We did not have prior legal support as an organization. PBPA has helped us understand our areas of deficiency and provided us with a means to address them.”
PBPA staff and volunteer attorneys have already advised MEG on ten legal matters including board policies, worker classification, and contracts. The organization has a number of identified projects that will appear as volunteer opportunities for attorneys in the coming months.
“[PBPA’s] support has been critical to the future growth and success of our organization as we continue to grow and evolve our programming and organizational structures,” said Caldwell.
PBPA volunteer attorneys who have recently worked with MEG include Joe Freeman (retired), Matthew Strumph (Alston & Bird), Alice Snedeker (Duane Morris), Steven Hauser (Hauser Legal Services), and Daven Douglas (Eversheds Sutherland).