LOS ANGELES — An initiative of the Musicians At Play Foundation, RISE was founded in 2022 by Anthony Parnther, Reggie Wilson, Booker White and John Acosta to help create opportunities for young minority musicians in the professional music world.  

A recent survey generated by the American Federation of Musicians, Local 47 reported that less than 2% of the professional musicians active in Los Angeles in the symphonic, film and TV industry were of African American or LatinX descent.

The program pairs young musicians with professional mentors who help teach the craft of film and TV music scoring and session recording, as well as providing real-world experience to help them work in professional studio sessions.