- Bringing Soul
Back to the Music
 Savannah, Georgia, was David’s
home before migrating to Atlanta to
jumpstart his music career. Shortly after arriving, he
befriended another
young, aspiring, and multi-gifted artist–her name was
India.Arie. “India was about the first person I met when I got
to Atlanta. I saw her at The Underground and she looked cool, so
we started talking, and I learned that we both liked the same
artists, and we began sharing music. We were friends for 3 years
before I even knew she could sing.” Through his friendship with
India, he found an outlet to express his thoughts and emotions
in songwriting. “India had been
playing the guitar, so I bought one and started messing around
with it.” David went on to write the song “Part of my Life” for
India’s critically acclaimed and multi-Grammy nominated album
Acoustic Soul. “It wasn’t until I heard some Bill Withers songs
that I got the inspiration to really try singing and then I sort
of found my vocal stride.” |
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African Americans in foster care
 The Child Welfare League of America (CWLA) praised Congressman
Charles Rangel for requesting the General Account Office (GAO)
Report on the high rate of African American children coming into and
remaining in foster care. Congressman Rangel, Chairman of the House
Ways and Means Committee, released the ground breaking new report on
racial disproportionality in foster care in the U.S. and called for
federal assistance to find permanent homes for those adversely
impacted. The report found that there was a significant
overrepresentation of children of color in the nation's child
welfare system. The GAO study (GAO-07-816) found that the level of
poverty, lack of support services and racial bias as well as other
factors resulted in African American children representing more than
one-third of the children in foster care. The report recommended
that Congress consider amending federal law to allow federal
reimbursement for legal guardianship and called on HHS to assist
state efforts to find permanent homes for African American children
and reduce the disproportionate number of children in foster care.
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Organix Promotions and
Springfield Holiday Inn Presents Ragan Whiteside
 Flutist, vocalist, and songwriter, Ragan Whiteside is taking the
Contemporary Jazz world by storm. With her unique style and soulful
vibe, this “triple threat” is bringing the flute back into
mainstream focus. After winning the 2006 Capital Jazz Challenge,
Ragan returned to the 2007 Capital Jazz Festival with a new
critically acclaimed album, “Class Axe”, produced by
Pianist/Arranger Bob Baldwin and Engineer/Arranger Extraordinaire
Dennis Johnson.
Ragan began her musical studies at the age of
5, after her parents discovered she had perfect pitch. A piano,
a drum set, and a violin later, Ragan focused her energies on
playing the flute and studying classical music. As she got
older, Ragan discovered another love: Song writing and
Arranging. After winning numerous competitions in both
performance and music composition throughout the United States,
Ragan attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Harid
Conservatory, where she earned her Bachelor of Music -
Performance degree. Her due diligence paid off; she penned more
than ½ of her debut disc, “Class Axe”.
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