Think your internship sucks? Well take heart and heed the advice of Michelle Edgar, founder of the non-profit Music Unites. She went from being a music-loving magazine intern to director of branding for Warner Bros. Music, and then created a charity that gets kids off the streets in into a studio to record original songs. This video also kicks off the new season of our Change Generation video series.

Copyrights, co-publishing, exploitation, synchronization; these are some of the terms that were thrown around throughout the first class of ASCAP and Music Unites’ Night School series. The joint endeavor, created to provide support and accessibility to emerging musical artists, kicked off Tuesday night at New York’s Norwood Club with ‘Music Publishing 101′. The dimly lit fourth floor parlor served as classroom, and the professors; a panel of publishing management from Downtown, Shapiro Bernstein and EMI. ASCAP’s Director, Pop/Rock and Film & TV Music Marc Emert-Hutner guided the casual discussion, allowing the panel to share their diverse experiences within the industry with the room of 50 participants. Those in attendance were mostly writers and performers but the group also included managers and lawyers.

Copyrights, co-publishing, exploitation, synchronization; these are some of the terms that were thrown around throughout the first class of ASCAP (American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers) and Music Unites’ Night School series. The joint endeavor, created to provide support and accessibility to emerging musicians, kicked off Tuesday night at the Norwood Club with ‘Music Publishing 101′.

Music Unites is joining with ASCAP tomorrow night to present “ASCAP’s Night School: Publishing 101″ the first in a series of four workshop panels developed to educate songwriters, labels and others involved in the music industry. The evening will culminate with a special performance by Cantora Records artist Savoir Adore.

This year, AXE Music “One Night Only” concert series is visiting U.S. cities across the country, throwing shows with surprise guests like Weezer for one night only appearances. While giving people an opportunity to see their favorite band, they have also used it as a way to give back by donating funds from their Chicago concert on October 18, 2010 to Music Unites, a nonprofit organization that funds music education in inner city schools.

Band members of O.A.R. and Music Unites Founder and Executive Director Michelle Edgar attend the AXE Music One Night Only Concert at Metro on October 19, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois.

Band members of O.A.R. and Music Unites Founder and Executive Director Michelle Edgar attend the AXE Music One Night Only Concert at Metro on October 19, 2010 in Chicago, Illinois.

O.A.R. (pictured) performs for the AXE Music “One Night Only” Concert series in Chicago, IL. In celebration of the series’ third show, AXE Music made a donation to Music Unites, a non-profit organization that brings music education to underprivileged children in underfunded inner city school systems.

Singer/songwriter Diane Birch is on a roll. She released her first studio album, Bible Belt, to strong reviews in May 2009, and spent January on tour with Nick Jonas. She’s also involved with Music Unites, a nonprofit that brings music education to children in underfunded inner city schools. The group recently launched an initiative that promotes female artists who are also role models – and who are passionate about giving back to their community. Teen Voices’ Michelle Golden caught up with Birch after she performed at the Empowering Women Through Music Initiative event in New York on October 4.

Music Unites with Diane Birch