THE PROGRAM: TECHKNO CAMP

We began operating TechKno Camp, as a Summer Youth program, back in 2012 at The Light House Youth Center on the South Side of Chicago. This collaborative effort allowed 16 creative youth to learn the basics fundamentals of shooting a short film they titled Black Beauty. The students wrote, produced and directed a 3 camera shoot, in a two week period, operating every aspect of video production. 

The following summer the MEMa Studio collaborated with The Light House Youth Center again to produce and perform their very own music video to accompany the short film of the previous year "Black Beauty". After a Songwriting Class, administered on-line by Canadian songwriter Melissa Endean, 21 students collaborated with each other to come up with a combination of Spoken Word, Rap and Anthem lyrics. The intended theme of the lyrics are purposely connected to the "Black Beauty" short film written and directed by former classmates during Tech-Kno Camp 2012. The theme and lyrics of I'm So Awesome are 100% conceptualized written and produced by the students, in their own words with guidance from the instructors.

This self-affirming music video is their statement of being. The MEMa Studio is privileged to have the honor of giving them a platform to express themselves in this artistic manner.