The Kate Duncan Grant
For Our Roster of Songwriters and Music Producers, Ages 13–18
The Kate Duncan Grant will make our teen Songwriting Program (ages 13–18) and Music Production Program (ages 13–18) accessible at a fraction of our standard rate. Grounded in our Layer One and Layer Two curricula, teens will join our writing or production teams to sharpen studio skills while exploring social dynamics and romantic relationships. While applying for our roster, clients will select their preferred rate and, if accepted, gain access to Marcelland, our private online community, as Earls and Countesses—allowing them to attend workshops, participate in challenges, and take courses.
Independently funded by our LLC to ensure complete transparency, our grant structure offers three financial assistance options to meet different families' needs without ever requiring documentation of economic difficulties. This allows parents and guardians to pay 75% of our standard rate for a weekly teen team session and substantial one-on-one support; 50% of our standard rate for a weekly teen team session and moderate one-on-one support; or 25% of our standard rate for a weekly teen team session with foundational one-on-one support. After 12 months of initial development, annual guaranteed industry pitches will be 9 per year at 75%, 6 at 50%, and 3 at 25%. Once our future 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization is ready to accept donations, we will expand this structure to cover 100% of our standard rate for those with documented financial need. To learn more, please visit our Programs page and the "Our Funding" section of our About page.
Kate Duncan directs Loyola University New Orleans’ School of Music and Theatre Professions and holds the Conrad Hilton Endowed Chair in Music Industry Studies. An Assistant Professor in Popular and Commercial Music, she teaches private voice, leads vocal jazz ensembles, and instructs courses in artist wellness and professional development. Active in advancing gender equity in music through initiatives like Girl’s Jazz Day and Women in Music, her leadership encourages students to approach music as both an artistic calling and a professional career rooted in integrity and care.
For Marcellé, Kate’s influence extended far beyond academics. “She was my vocal ensemble professor, one of my songwriting professors, and my academic advisor,” Marcellé shares. “When she learned I was a survivor of gender-based violence, she made space for me to talk—not as a therapist, but as someone who believed me and wanted me to be okay.” Kate’s strength, advocacy, and compassion helped Marcellé imagine a future where support, creativity, and safety coexist, inspiring the foundation of our rigorous yet empathetic training for intermediate creators.
To join our writing or production team for teens (ages 13–18), families apply and select how much of our rate they want to pay. If accepted, teens join our roster at that rate with no questions asked—learning to write, produce, and collaborate with personal and relational sovereignty. Through small group teamwork and personalized one-on-one development, students will build technical mastery, critical thinking, and collaborative trust without financial strain, preparing them to navigate the creative industry with resilience and self-awareness.
This institutional grant will honor Kate’s commitment to gender equity, music advocacy, and creator wellness. By making teen songwriting and music production accessible, we will ensure young artists—including those navigating trauma, neurodivergence, or disabilities—receive trauma-informed, neurodiversity-affirming guidance. While fiscal sponsorship supports finishing, pitching, and releasing music across our label and publishing pipelines, our institutional grants guarantee that team-based music education remains accessible to as many families as possible.