Funded by John Legend, Eagles’ Jordan Mailata, Philadelphia high school’s record label drops its 7th album

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Over the years, some pretty cool things have happened at Hill-Freedman World Academy. For one, the high school has its own record label, which was founded in 2016.

The project is deeply embedded at the school. Every ninth and 10th grader there must complete a class with music technology teacher Ezechial Thurman, which includes creating an album with original songs that they write, compose, produce and perform.

It’s funded by musician John Legend and Philadelphia Eagles player Jordan Mailata, among others.

And the label has definitely found its groove. Hill-Freedman Records recently released its seventh music album — and is working on an eighth.

The May release is called “Heart & Soul,” which was made in partnership with World Café Live. It was inspired by the class studying the Oscar-winning documentary “Summer of Soul,” by Roots band member and Philadelphia native Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson. The film examines the healing power of music, especially during times of unrest, telling the story of the Harlem Cultural Festival during the civil rights-related turmoil of 1969.

HBO documentary

Another cool moment was when HBO came to the school to record a documentary about the record label, called “Stand Up & Shout: Songs From a Philly High School.”

The HBO documentary was created in association with Get Lifted Film Co., Legend’s multimedia production team. It was directed and produced by Amy Schatz, an Emmy and Peabody award winner. The executive producers were Get Lifted executives Legend, an Emmy, Grammy, Oscar and Tony winner; Mike Jackson, an Emmy and Tony Award winner; and Ty Stiklorius, an Emmy Award winner.

The group has Philly roots. Jackson and Stiklorius are natives, while the latter met Legend when the two were attending the University of Pennsylvania.

While making the film, they committed to helping fund Hill-Freedman Records to support artistry, music education and uplifting students’ voices.

Schatz, an independent film producer, said she read about the school’s label while researching young people’s wellbeing coming out of the pandemic, which was impacted by school lockdowns and the isolation that many students felt. She said she felt lucky to be invited to Thurman’s classroom, adding that the experience “was inspirational.”

“The goal of Hill-Freedman is to give kids a voice, and I think the film accentuated that. If you give kids a platform, they really can shine,” Schatz said. “One of the overall takeaways for me was not only about the young people, but about some of the true heroes in our world, like the teachers and the fact that they really change lives. You can see the value of education and you can see the value of teachers.”

The film, which aired Nov. 7, 2023, “explores the transformative power of music and how arts education can be a source of hope and healing,” according to HBO. That year, Legend, Jackson and Stikorious were honored as Changemakers by the Greenwich International Film Festival at its Changemaker Gala. The festival donated $100,000 in proceeds to Hill-Freedman Records, via Get Lifted.

Isaiah Brown-Sheaff, 19, is now an intern at Hill-Freedman Records, but was 16 years old when the documentary was being made.

“It was definitely something new having cameras in your face and just the pressure of handling being a student and recording an album,” he said. “Everything was new at the time. But I learned how to adjust and have fun with it.”

‘Cool and interesting people’

Dashaun Alston, 19, is also an intern at Hill Freedman Records who was involved in the 2023 project.

“It was a brand new setting coming right out of the COVID [pandemic] and having to make music right off the bat like that,” Alston said. “I got to meet a lot of cool and interesting people. When I got here, I wasn’t expecting to be part of an HBO documentary. I just came here to make music, but I ended up making music with amazing people and being mentored by our teachers and they helped us succeed. It was great.”

Thurman, who has a background in opera and songwriting, said the HBO team spent almost two years filming at the school.

“The HBO documentary was the experience of a lifetime, as an educator who has been in a Philadelphia classroom for 26 years,” Thurman said. “It was a long journey, and we learned a lot. Being around the HBO production team and to see them working alongside our students was amazing. It really elevated our program.”

After the documentary aired, Thurman said that he fielded calls from educators and students from as far away as Asia, Europe and South America, wanting to know how they could do something similar.

As part of the Hill-Freedman’s International Baccalaureate Design and Music Technology program, all ninth-grade students work with local musicians, teaching artists and interns, Thurman said. The students learn 21st century digital media skills, such as songwriting, creating podcasts, production and performance, as well as music beat-making and even basic piano.

“Our real passion is activating students creatively, helping them face some of the challenges right in front of them and using their creative voices to speak,” Thurman said. The program was never meant to get students ready for the music industry, he said — but if that happens, great.

By 10th grade, the focus is on creating an album, Thurman said.

“We surround that 10th grade group and say we are going to make an album and your voices are going to be heard around the world,” Thurman said. “At first, they looked at us like we were crazy. But right now they are activated.”

Since 2017, Hill-Freedman Record’s six other albums include: “Sounds from Hill-Freedman Studios, What’s Going On” (2018), “Wake Up Everybody” (2019), “Things That Matter” (2020), “Love & Healing” (2021) and “Growing Up Black” (2022).

These albums were co-produced by World Café Live, a nonprofit in Philadelphia that previously funded the record label.

Two more albums are in the works, including one created from 2022 to 2023 that was delayed because of Thurman’s personal tragedy. His family home caught fire last year and nearly all their belongings were destroyed. He took a sabbatical to acquire housing for his family.

“We put a lot into the back end of the production of our albums,” Thurman said. “[Students] do the creating and the making. We also support on the back end with mixing, mastering and publishing.”

In addition, he said that the label is handling everything internally this year through its own nonprofit: Friends of Hill-Freedman Records.

For her part, Schatz praised HBO and Legend’s company Get Lifted for embracing and supporting the film.

“At the premier of ‘Stand Up and Shout’ during the Philadelphia Film Festival, Legend performed one of the students’ songs with them and it was magic,” Schatz said. “Programs like this can make the world better. Not only are we helping the kids by allowing them to feel joy, pride and talent, but also bringing resources like arts and music education that can really be transformative.”