Refresh Collective's Neighborhood Recording Studios

Dee Jay Doc, founder of Refresh Collective and 60 youth on the West Side of Cleveland are ready to make music that will uplift the neighborhoods of Detroit Shoreway and Clark Fulton. Dee Jay Doc and has been innovating a unique style of cultivating youth voice in at-risk neighborhoods for 10 years. Our growing team of qualified hip-hop artists are passionate mentors who care for and nurture each child through start-to-finish music-making projects designed to cultivate youth voice, build strong relationships and grow young leaders.

We guide students through a songwriting process whereby they were able to name their pain and claim their tomorrow. This matters because we all need help processing our trauma and then activating our potential. Your donation will help us harness the power of music and fashion to equip youth and uplift neighborhoods in 2020. Thank you for your donation and your support.

Two Neighborhood Studios

Each of these two neighborhood recording studios will offer after-school programs, our signature summer camp and mastery level internships. We help youth and young adults write songs that address social justice, personal leadership, and healthy living. 

Summer Hip-hop Camp

At Fresh Camp, our signature summer hip-hop camp for youth ages 9-18, youth grow in confidence and character as they reflect on their lives and surroundings. They learn beat-making, lyric writing, recording arts and performance. Original songs become theme music for our neighborhood and redefine our understanding of our community and our role in it. We are leaders who have a voice and can make a difference. You can hear songs from last year's camp here.

Music Production + Studio Internships

Young adults develop transferable employment and leadership skills while planning, producing, and promoting our collaborative work. We find that youth stick with our program for 4-6 years. Some go on to attend Tri-C's recording arts college and have even started their own studios. These internships teach students all aspects of digital audio composition, recording arts and performance. They develop increased focus, work ethic, teamwork and civic engagement.

Feb 1st: Post job description for Artist Mentor position and start the interview process

March 1st: Purchase final studio equipment and set-up studios

April:  Recruit for Fresh Camp (our 3-week summer hip-hop camp)

May 1st: Hire our Artist Mentor 

May: Run training for artist team

June: Run Fresh Camp and community concerts

September: Start after-school programs and year-round internships.

Why a neighborhood studio? Transportation confines youth in many inner-city neighborhoods to only walkable options. Neighborhood studios make our programs accessible and also allow students in the same neighborhood to connect hearts and share hope. Our passion is to raise up young leaders who redefine their neighborhoods and make a difference together. This is placemaking.

Our partner, Corner 65 at the Nehemiah Mission serves 60 African Refugees recently placed in Cleveland over the last 4 years from a variety of countries in Africa but mostly Congo and Uganda. Many of the children came here with other families of with just one parent due to losing many family members due to war and violence in their home countries. Music is a huge connection to their culture. We have already done a few workshops with the students and they LOVE making hip-hop music and are very excited to learn more. It will be very impactful for them to express their stories and gain confidence gaining a greater sense of belonging in a culture they don’t feel connected to yet. 

"Research has shown time and again that telling stories about your life contributes to health and well-being in all kinds of people, and specifically people who have had traumatic and stressful lives." - Andrew Schlegelmilch, Ph.D., Clinical Psychologist⁠

Inner-city youth experience a disproportionate rate of poverty, homelessness, violence, and abuse. Refresh Collective is uniquely qualified and has proven capabilities to build intentional relationships, create safe spaces, deliver arts programming and provide workforce skill development from caring professional artists. Our artists are mentors who teach with care and commitment. The demand for our work is growing. You can help us increase our capacity to serve more youth in the heart of the city. Your donation makes a BIG difference!