Sound Thinking NYC – The City University of New York
Source: https://www.cuny.edu/academics/current-initiatives/k16/cat/sound-thinking-nyc
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:16
Sound Thinking NYC – The City University of New York
Skip to Content
Skip to Navigation
Follow CAT
Support CAT
Who We Are
Sound Thinking NYC (STNYC) is creating pathways to jobs in the creative sector, focusing on supporting young people as they explore how to turn their passion for music into a possible career. STNYC was launched in 2018 by CUNY Creative Arts Team and the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment—addressing the underrepresentation of women in the music industry and creating access to opportunities for all New York City students.
2026 Summer Intensive Applications Are Open!
The STNYC Summer Intensive is a
free
four-week long program for high school students to explore careers in the music industry. The program is open to current 9th, 10th & 11th grade NYCPS students who will be entering 10th, 11th & 12th grade in Fall 2026. Cohort members participate in workshops focusing on sound engineering and production, music business and management, as well as leadership and communication skill-building.
Program Length:
July 6 – July 31, Monday-Friday 9:00am to 3:00pm
Location:
101 W. 31st Street, 6th floor
Application Deadline:
May 22, 2026
Lunch:
Free lunches provided
Apply Now!
What Students Gain
Engineering skills focused on music production
Leadership and social emotional skills to launch career and life goals
Knowledge of various careers and skills in the music industry, including publishing, distribution, digital platforms, artist management, public relations, marketing, finance, and law
Access to STNYC’s
College Now
courses, which enable high school students to enroll in a CUNY music production class for free, earning college credits while mastering their area of interest
Experience producing and presenting a culminating project
Paid Internship and mentorship opportunities
Become a Sound Thinker
Applications for the program begin in February each year.
To be placed on our email list to be notified about school year events and when applications open for our 3-week Summer Intensive for NYC high school students, join our mailing list below.
To reach out about becoming an STNYC partner, mentor, or internship placement, contact Program Director
Jennifer Gil
.
Join STNYC’s Mailing List
Contact Us
Our Impact
1,000+
Participants Since Founding
42%
Surveyed STNYC Alumnae are Enrolled in Music Industry-Related College Majors
170+
High School Students Attended STNYC College Now Music Tech Courses
127
Paid Internship & Mentorship Placements
388
Summer Intensive Graduates
40%
STNYC Students and Graduates Have Held or Currently Hold Jobs In The Music Industry.
STNYC Student
“Meeting people and making connections with professionals in the music industry was my favorite part of Sound Thinking because I’ve never met anyone professional in the music industry and it was a great experience meeting so many professionals.”
STNYC Student
“I got a better sense of what I really want to do in the music industry when I’m older. I found all their occupations extremely cool and I guess I know now that if I really want to pursue music as a profession, I have to do it out of passion.”
Our Partners
As a program launched by the CUNY Creative Arts Team and the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Sound Thinking NYC is an equity-focused career pathway program for youth that creates opportunities in all aspects of the music industry, recognizing our youth is our greatest resource for building the next generation of music industry leaders. STNYC’s commitment to building pathways toward career success and economic security through public-private partnerships is part of a growing number of initiatives in New York City to support young adults to gain work experiences, add skills, and explore potential career interests to compete in the 21st century job market. Our partners include supporters of the program who have provided volunteer and in-kind donations as well as partners who have provided funding and institutional support.
STNYC Advisory Council
Binta Nambi Brown
Partner
Manett Entertainment
Justin Kalifowitz
Founder & Chairman
Downtown Music Holdings
Shira Gans
Senior Executive Director of Policy + Programs
NYC Mayor’s Office
Molly Neuman
Chief Marketing Officer
Downtown Music Holdings
William Harvey
Musician, Co-founder
NY is Music
Jessica Sobhraj
CEO at Cosynd & Advisor
Women in Music
Carletta Higginson
EVP, Chief Digital Officer for WMG
Music Industry Partners
Anti Social Producers Club
Audiomack
B&H
Big Mouth Records LLC
Blue Man Group Tech Department
Broadcast Music Inc.
D’Angelico
Dangertown Media
Downtown Music
Group
Downtown Music Studios
Charming Disaster
City Winery NYC
Collective Entertainment
COSYND
CUNY K16 Initiatives
,
College Now Program
Eljuri
Elsewhere
Flavorlab
Genius
JioSaavn
Kobalt Music Group
Le Poisson Rouge
Little Underground Management
Live Nation
Main Drag Music
Manoville Records
Monomrecords
MONOLisa Studios
Mother Feather
Okayplayer & OkayAfrica.com
The Orchards
Oya Productions
Platinum Sound Recording Studios
The Press House
Primary Wave
RCA / Sony
Republic Records
Reverb Gives
Revive Music Group
Sam Ash Music
Songtrust
Songwriters Hall of Fame NY Education Committee
Sony Music Entertainment
Sunnyvale
The Syndicate
Threshold Recording Studios
Universal Music Publishing Group
Viacom
Internship Partners & Hosts
Audiomack
Building Beats
Cosynd Inc
Cyber PR
Downtown Music Holdings
Main Drag Music
Marauder
MonaLisa Studios
National Jazz Museum
One Two Many (OTM)
Second Take Sound
Songbird Creative
Educational and Non-Profit Partners
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers
Association of Music Producers
Audio Engineering Society – AES NY Pro Audio Conference
Black and Jewish Entertainment Alliance (BJEA)
BMI
BRIC Arts Media
Brooklyn College
Building Beats
CUNY College Now
CUNY Office of K16 Initiatives
Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema
Beatz by Girls – Lower Eastside Girls Club
Guitar Mash
K16 STEM Research Academy
Lincoln Center Education
Louis Armstrong House Museum
The National Jazz Museum in Harlem
NY Music Month
The Recording Academy, New York Chapter
Save the Music Foundation
SESAC
Sound Girls
Universal Hip Hop Museum
Women in Music
PROGRAMS
CUNY College & Career Advising Fellows
College & Career Bridge for All
College Completion Innovation Fund
CUNY College Now
Creative Arts Team
CUNY Explorers
CUNY Prep
Early College
Network for College Success
Teaching & Learning
Tutor Corps
FutureReadyNYC
QUICKLINKS
Contact Us
Leadership
Skip to Content
Skip to Navigation
Follow CAT
Support CAT
Who We Are
Sound Thinking NYC (STNYC) is creating pathways to jobs in the creative sector, focusing on supporting young people as they explore how to turn their passion for music into a possible career. STNYC was launched in 2018 by CUNY Creative Arts Team and the NYC Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment—addressing the underrepresentation of women in the music industry and creating access to opportunities for all New York City students.
2026 Summer Intensive Applications Are Open!
The STNYC Summer Intensive is a
free
four-week long program for high school students to explore careers in the music industry. The program is open to current 9th, 10th & 11th grade NYCPS students who will be entering 10th, 11th & 12th grade in Fall 2026. Cohort members participate in workshops focusing on sound engineering and production, music business and management, as well as leadership and communication skill-building.
Program Length:
July 6 – July 31, Monday-Friday 9:00am to 3:00pm
Location:
101 W. 31st Street, 6th floor
Application Deadline:
May 22, 2026
Lunch:
Free lunches provided
Apply Now!
What Students Gain
Engineering skills focused on music production
Leadership and social emotional skills to launch career and life goals
Knowledge of various careers and skills in the music industry, including publishing, distribution, digital platforms, artist management, public relations, marketing, finance, and law
Access to STNYC’s
College Now
courses, which enable high school students to enroll in a CUNY music production class for free, earning college credits while mastering their area of interest
Experience producing and presenting a culminating project
Paid Internship and mentorship opportunities
Become a Sound Thinker
Applications for the program begin in February each year.
To be placed on our email list to be notified about school year events and when applications open for our 3-week Summer Intensive for NYC high school students, join our mailing list below.
To reach out about becoming an STNYC partner, mentor, or internship placement, contact Program Director
Jennifer Gil
.
Join STNYC’s Mailing List
Contact Us
Our Impact
1,000+
Participants Since Founding
42%
Surveyed STNYC Alumnae are Enrolled in Music Industry-Related College Majors
170+
High School Students Attended STNYC College Now Music Tech Courses
127
Paid Internship & Mentorship Placements
388
Summer Intensive Graduates
40%
STNYC Students and Graduates Have Held or Currently Hold Jobs In The Music Industry.
STNYC Student
“Meeting people and making connections with professionals in the music industry was my favorite part of Sound Thinking because I’ve never met anyone professional in the music industry and it was a great experience meeting so many professionals.”
STNYC Student
“I got a better sense of what I really want to do in the music industry when I’m older. I found all their occupations extremely cool and I guess I know now that if I really want to pursue music as a profession, I have to do it out of passion.”
Our Partners
As a program launched by the CUNY Creative Arts Team and the Mayor’s Office of Media and Entertainment, Sound Thinking NYC is an equity-focused career pathway program for youth that creates opportunities in all aspects of the music industry, recognizing our youth is our greatest resource for building the next generation of music industry leaders. STNYC’s commitment to building pathways toward career success and economic security through public-private partnerships is part of a growing number of initiatives in New York City to support young adults to gain work experiences, add skills, and explore potential career interests to compete in the 21st century job market. Our partners include supporters of the program who have provided volunteer and in-kind donations as well as partners who have provided funding and institutional support.
STNYC Advisory Council
Binta Nambi Brown
Partner
Manett Entertainment
Justin Kalifowitz
Founder & Chairman
Downtown Music Holdings
Shira Gans
Senior Executive Director of Policy + Programs
NYC Mayor’s Office
Molly Neuman
Chief Marketing Officer
Downtown Music Holdings
William Harvey
Musician, Co-founder
NY is Music
Jessica Sobhraj
CEO at Cosynd & Advisor
Women in Music
Carletta Higginson
EVP, Chief Digital Officer for WMG
Music Industry Partners
Anti Social Producers Club
Audiomack
B&H
Big Mouth Records LLC
Blue Man Group Tech Department
Broadcast Music Inc.
D’Angelico
Dangertown Media
Downtown Music
Group
Downtown Music Studios
Charming Disaster
City Winery NYC
Collective Entertainment
COSYND
CUNY K16 Initiatives
,
College Now Program
Eljuri
Elsewhere
Flavorlab
Genius
JioSaavn
Kobalt Music Group
Le Poisson Rouge
Little Underground Management
Live Nation
Main Drag Music
Manoville Records
Monomrecords
MONOLisa Studios
Mother Feather
Okayplayer & OkayAfrica.com
The Orchards
Oya Productions
Platinum Sound Recording Studios
The Press House
Primary Wave
RCA / Sony
Republic Records
Reverb Gives
Revive Music Group
Sam Ash Music
Songtrust
Songwriters Hall of Fame NY Education Committee
Sony Music Entertainment
Sunnyvale
The Syndicate
Threshold Recording Studios
Universal Music Publishing Group
Viacom
Internship Partners & Hosts
Audiomack
Building Beats
Cosynd Inc
Cyber PR
Downtown Music Holdings
Main Drag Music
Marauder
MonaLisa Studios
National Jazz Museum
One Two Many (OTM)
Second Take Sound
Songbird Creative
Educational and Non-Profit Partners
American Society of Composers, Authors, and Publishers
Association of Music Producers
Audio Engineering Society – AES NY Pro Audio Conference
Black and Jewish Entertainment Alliance (BJEA)
BMI
BRIC Arts Media
Brooklyn College
Building Beats
CUNY College Now
CUNY Office of K16 Initiatives
Feirstein Graduate School of Cinema
Beatz by Girls – Lower Eastside Girls Club
Guitar Mash
K16 STEM Research Academy
Lincoln Center Education
Louis Armstrong House Museum
The National Jazz Museum in Harlem
NY Music Month
The Recording Academy, New York Chapter
Save the Music Foundation
SESAC
Sound Girls
Universal Hip Hop Museum
Women in Music
PROGRAMS
CUNY College & Career Advising Fellows
College & Career Bridge for All
College Completion Innovation Fund
CUNY College Now
Creative Arts Team
CUNY Explorers
CUNY Prep
Early College
Network for College Success
Teaching & Learning
Tutor Corps
FutureReadyNYC
QUICKLINKS
Contact Us
Leadership