Page 26 - 07_Sept-2025

Sponsor Feature
“The whole collaboration is just working out so
beautifully and it's amazing to have the support of
an organization that understands what art can do and
how art can heal and, by doing this, they've allowed us
to produce this album,” says Beryl Bacchus, iHuman’s
executive director. “It’s a full partnership.”
EAC has also supported iHuman to bring
musicians and instructors into the studio to help the
youth with vocal coaching and guitar lessons.
“They’re really helping support us to get the
right people in place to mentor these youth,” says
Bacchus. “They’re supporting the next generation of
artists in Edmonton.”
Samjay Mensah, iHuman’s sound studio
coordinator, works with the youth to craft their music
and make the final products radio- (or playlist-) ready.
“His talent for pulling these stories out of the
youth and then working with them and collaborating
with them to create the background music and how
they want it to sound ... he's done a phenomenal job
of putting it all together,” says Bacchus.
The album brings together a variety of genres,
from folk to rap to pop, but the music is united by the
raw, personal lyrics and the young artists’ talent.
“Being able to work with so many different
people, even though all of our voices and styles are
so different, the way it came together was really
beautiful,” one of the youth artists, Russecetta says.
“There's so much great talent coming out of our
music studio. The whole process is a journey starting
from them putting their life experience down into
words and turning that into music,” says Bacchus.
“It shows the evolution that can happen as you grow
and learn how to process any trauma that you’ve
been through.”
Sean Arceta, registered social worker and
iHuman's community relations director loves
watching the youth collaborate with Mensah in
the studio — his mentorship pushes the youth to
greater heights.
“I think the cool thing is just seeing the respect
between the artist and the producer,” Arceta says.
“There’s definitely that healthy constructive
feedback that happens with the artists.”
The project's goal isn’t only to help youth tell
their stories — it’s also builds their personal and
professional skills, Arceta says. They book time
in the studio, show up for their slot and put in
the work with Mensah, who gives constructive
feedback and helps them hone their skills.
“Recording at iHuman has helped me grow, not
just musically or artistically, but in confidence and
self-expression,” one youth in the program, Emily,
says. “At the end of the day, I think most people just
want to be seen and heard and this is a space where
that actually happens.”
Even before he began working with iHuman,
Arceta saw former iHuman youth take their art to
a professional level, touring with established artists
and making a career out of their artistic expression.