The Recording Academy has established the Music Education & Professional Development Committee (MEPD). The committee, co-chaired by industry executives Nikisha Bailey and Riggs Morales, aims to enhance synergies and amplify the Academy’s efforts around mentorship and education among the organization’s 12 chapters, Grammy U, the Grammy Museum, MusiCares, The Latin Recording Academy and the Latin Grammy Cultural Foundation.
“This committee was developed to ignite possibility through bold, hands-on learning experiences and professional development that only the academy can deliver,” Dr. Chelsey Green, chair of the Recording Academy’s board of trustees, said in a statement. “We’re dedicated to bringing our educational work to a global stage, opening doors of access and awareness to our membership like never before. … We are only beginning to unlock how powerful the academy’s exclusive Grammy educational experiences can be in shaping the future of music.”
“Nikisha and Riggs embody the spirit of intentional mentorship and bold vision that will propel this committee’s work to touch the world,” Dr. Green added. “Their leadership will expand the academy’s educational reach, connect communities, and bring a fresh approach to curating opportunities for members to sustain and grow their careers.”
Bailey has been at the nexus of artist development and technology for companies such as APG (Artist Partner Group), Atlantic Records, Nvak Collective and Universal Music Group. Bailey currently serves as a trustee from the Recording Academy’s New York chapter. She was also an ambassador for the academy’s Black Music Collective.
Morales has been a fixture in music for over two decades, first as a journalist for publications such as The Source, XXL and The Fader, and later as a record executive at Eminem’s Shady Records, Atlantic Records, Def Jam and Republic Records. Riggs has served on the Recording Academy’s national board of trustees from the New York chapter. In October 2020, he was instrumental in launching the academy’s Black Music Collective.