Behind the Mic Foundation
- March 24th, 2010
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Behind The Mic, Inc is a 5013(c) certified non profit organization founded in Dallas, Texas by Lawrence “Azim’ Rashid and his wife Taia Rashid to help facilitate learning and mentorship. Azim is a 20 year music industry veteran and current Senior Executive at Atlantic Records (a division of Warner Music Group) in New York City. “To touch the lives of young people and show them an example of what hard work and motivation can achieve without the bright lights and cameras” is Azim’s goal for the foundation. A graduate of LV Berkner High School in Richardson and The University of North Texas in Denton, Texas, Azim wants to give back to the community that spurred his music industry career and help young people understand that there is more to the entertainment business than what they see. “What happens behind the scenes actually matters and can provide lifelong opportunities for those willing to do the work and shun the spotlight.”
Overview: Behind the Mic Foundation is a mentoring/motivational/educational foundation geared toward raising the self esteem and spirit of young people as well as enhancing their awareness as it relates to careers in all areas of the entertainment fields. The primary demographic that we are targeting is young men and women from 9th grade through college with an emphasis on 11th graders through sophomores in college or 16-20 year olds.
Motto: There 5 jobs in front of the mic, there are 500 jobs behind the mic.
Goals/Aim: With an emphasis on educating young people about careers and opportunities in the entertainment fields that are in the non-performance arena. Our aim is to encourage prospects to pursue opportunities in areas of corporate management, marketing, new media, design, photography, production, a&r, publicity, promotion, law, finance, writing, direction, any and all jobs behind the scenes, thus the name Behind The Mic.
Platforms: Our approach to achieving our goal is a two tier platform. The 1st is that of pure information and education. Through a continued speaking/lecture series, we look to speak to youth groups, organizations and schools about the opportunities that lie in the fields of music, television, film and fashion that are often never seen but that are responsible for the productivity and success of the end product. Our 2nd platform is that of mentorship. With so many of our young people lacking direction, we feel that it is necessary to provide role models and examples of success stories in these fields from all walks of life. These mentors will not only provide career advise and direction but hopefully teach basic life skills such as etiquette, resume writing, public speaking, dressing for success, personal finance, the importance of diet and fitness and teamwork.
