"Early on I was in an Upward Bound program where we learned ballet, jazz, tap, acting, and all of that, so I had a love for it at a young age, and because of that I was able to go to different places that I didn’t know existed. It's still a huge problem in the St. Louis community, especially within the school system - music is normally the first thing they cut in schools. A lot of times, kids aren't getting that exposure at an early age, and it’s not until later on that they’re like, “Oh I didn’t even know this art scene was there.” But St. Louis has gotten better and become more colorful. We have a lot of artists out there making the city look bright."

Mikala Cannon: Executive Director of African Musical Arts Inc.

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