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ANKH RA IS A MUSICAL/VOCAL DIRECTOR, COMPOSER, PRODUCER, PERFORMER, VOCAL INSTRUCTOR/COACH, AND EDUCATOR, WHO IS COMMITTED AND DEDICATED TO UTILIZING HIS TALENTS AND THE ARTS AS A VEHICLE FOR TRAINING, EMPOWERMENT, HEALING AND TRANSFORMATION. Ankh Ra Amenhetep is one of the official talent judges and the season’s vocal coach for MTV’S “Making The Band-4” featuring the King of Hip-Hop/R&B P Diddy. The nation-wide twelve-city talent search has culminated in motivating and inspiring the artistic dreams of over three thousand young male participating contestants. On the road, Mr. Ankh Ra, as he is affectionately called, realized he had a great opportunity to positively touch the artistic souls of all the young men that he was auditioning. “This is possibly the first major audition for most of these young men” he said a local Memphis magazine interview. “And it is my intention to be an encouraging and supportive force to inspire them to continue on their artistic journey.” He also realized that many of the young singers needed a lot of vocal work and development, which made it very clear the desperate need of a national campaign for the artistic development of today’s youth. Coming into the New York City “Making The Band” Finals, offered Ankh Ra the opportunity to work intensely with the 58 singers who were competing for the twenty spots on the show. It was a gratifying experience for Ankh Ra as well as a tremendous learning experience for the young contestants involved. Please stay tune, as the succeeding episodes will reveal which contestants actually win the honor of “Making The Band”. For the last thirty years, Ankh Ra Amenhetep has musically worked with thousands of children, teenagers, and adults. Whether he is working with major recording artists or beginning vocal students, his goals are always to empower, inspire, transform and to create a harmonious space where people can grow musically and reach their highest potential. His dedication and commitment to personal and artistic empowerment and development has earned him numerous awards including: the Father Figure Award, the Shield Community Contribution Award, the Champion of Youth Award, and the Special Community Service Award. In 2006, Ankh Ra returned as Theater Arts Director and musical director for Mind-Builder’s Positive Youth Troupe. From 1989 to 1999 he served as the musical/vocal director for the Mind-Builder’s Positive Youth Troupe, where he musically directed, musically scored and vocally coached and arranged six PYT musical theater productions. These productions toured the New York City school system, colleges, libraries, community centers and corrections facilities. Mr. Amenhetep has also musically and vocally directed and composed music for various other NYC organizations including: New York City Department of Education, New York State Education Department, the New York City Parks Department, City Kids Foundation, Nite-Star Theater, Community Works, All Saint’s Catholic Church & School, Graham-Windham Services for Youth, The Bronx Creative Arts For Youth and the Area Cooperative Educational Services in New Haven, CT. As a songwriter and ASCAP member, Ankh Ra was awarded the ASCAP Popular Award for Songwriters and the prestigious Abe Olman Scholarship Award for Songwriters. He was also chosen, out of thousands of songwriters, to participate in the ASCAP Pop and R&B songwriting workshops and received an honorable mention certificate in the John Lennon songwriting contest. His commercial recording credits include: “I Do Me Too,” - a St. Johns Divine CD project; “Time Warner Children Story Series,” “The Drummer Path,” an instrumental & vocal project, “Possibility”- a solo CD single; “Wisdom” and ‘Deep Inside My Soul” world wide dance music releases. His 2001 CD releases include; “I Am SomDONOTBLOCKOURADSebody” a NYC High School music & poetry project and “Spark a Genius,” a conscious hip hop/rap project. His 2002 releases include: “Rhythm Nation” a CD project of positive and motivating songs for the NYC Department of Education; “Everything We Go Through” a NYC High School music & poetry project and “Higher Consciousness” a conscious R&B /hip hop/spoken/rap project, which features Ankh Ra as solo artist. His 2003 releases include: “Twenty Years of Love,” a mini CD, “Everybody Loves Kwanzaa,” a cultural release, “Shout It Out,” “Why War” two anti-war club releases and “You Got The Power,” an inspirational dance release. No doubt Ankh Ra Amenhetep has accomplished much more than the most and his journey has only just begun. Well respected and sought after in the music community, his spirit, honesty and dedication to his craft can only go on to soar higher and higher. This chapter includes his story on Making the Band 4, stay tuned for the next chapter of even more unlimited possibilities…