About this Event
James Fauntleroy's Beat Garden: Live Music, Songwriting Showcase + More
Learn music production with GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter and producer James Fauntleroy, Stax Music Academy, and special guests – plus live performances from the top 10 finalists of SMA's MicDrop Songwriting Contest.
SATURDAY, SEPT. 26, 2026
Beat Garden
2:00–5:00 PM | Stax Music Academy | 910 E. McLemore Ave.
James Fauntleroy, a 4x GRAMMY Award-winning songwriter, artist, and producer known for his work with Rihanna, Drake, and Justin Timberlake, brings his innovative Beat Garden series back to Stax Music Academy.
Beat Garden offers young people an exciting, hands-on opportunity to explore music production and the intersection of music and technology. Participants will learn the basics of music production and create their own beats using Roland instruments and tools, including Roland Cloud, AeroCaster, and AIRA Compact. Fauntleroy created Beat Garden to cultivate computer literacy through music and provide an engaging, welcoming environment where young people can explore technology and creativity.
→Beat Garden is designed for 6th grade students and up.
MicDrop Songwriting Competition
As part of Beat Garden, the Top 10 finalists from SMA's MicDrop Songwriting Contest will take the stage to perform their original songs. The MicDrop competition is open to artists, songwriters, and producers of all ages. The Beat Garden audience will vote to select the Top 3 finalists, who will advance to the final showcase at The Shed later that night.
→Want to compete? Click here to learn more and submit your original song for consideration.
The Shed + MicDrop Showcase
6:00 PM | 126 Beale St. (former Hard Rock Café)
Following Beat Garden, the night continues at The Shed, where the Top 3 MicDrop finalists will perform before a panel of the industry’s most respected music professionals.Judges will be announced ahead of the event.
- 1st Place: $500 + Performance slot at Soulsville Fest on Saturday, Oct. 17 + T-shirt
- 2nd Place: $100 + Personalized music industry session with a Music Employs professional + T-shirt
- 3rd Place: Personalized music industry session with a Music Employs professional + T-shirt
Following the MicDrop showcase, The Shed Open Mic will open the stage for young artists to perform, build connections, and grow alongside their peers.
→ Open Mic performance slots are exclusively open to students in grades 6–12.
Event venue & nearby stays
Stax Music Academy, 910 East McLemore Avenue, Memphis, United States
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