On September 12, 2011, White Hall Arts Academy - a contemporary performing arts academy located in South Los Angeles - was founded by music industry veteran Tanisha Hall. White Hall Arts Academy has reached thousands of students across South Los Angeles and worldwide through individual music lessons, group classes and community partnerships with schools and organizations.

White Hall Arts Academy's mission is to use the power of the arts to educate, empower, and encourage communities. We strive to bridge the gap between mental health, social emotional learning, arts development, and creative expression by creating educational arts programming to under-served communities. Through our work, we aim to foster a greater understanding and appreciation of the arts and their ability to inspire, heal, and bring people together.

Some of White Hall Arts Academy students have been featured on The Voice, American Idol, and America’s Got Talent, as well as Broadway tours and many other movies, television series and commercials. Success for WHAA students has not been limited to stage and screen, clients like Grammy Award winning songwriter Ant Clemons. White Hall Arts Academy students have been accepted into highly acclaimed educational institutions like Brown, USC, UCLA, UC Berkley, UCSD, Spellman, Moorehouse, and our founder’s alma mater Berklee College of Music. Many receiving full scholarships.

In 2022, White Hall Arts Academy was awarded a coveted “Infusion Award” as part of The Lewis Prize for Music's Accelerator Awards. From there, founder Tanisha caught the attention of the Kelly Clarkson Show and was featured as a “Rad Human” for her extensive community work. Ms. Hall has also received notable press coverage on KTLA Morning News, Good Day on Fox 11, Spectrum 1 News, the Tammi Mac Show as well as being a featured panelist for Universal Music Group and Berklee College of Music. She has also secured contracts to provide music education services at schools and after school programs throughout Los Angeles and neighboring cities of Watts and Compton.

Also in 2022, WHAA held it's first Rock The Block community festival and brought nearly 1,500 people to three blocks of 54th Street. In 2023, the 2nd Annual Rock The Block hosted 3,000 people and awarded Macy Gray the inagural Lifetime Change Maker Award. Special guests also included Senator Diane Watson, Congresswomen Sydney Kamlager-Dove, CA St. Assembly Majority Leader Isaac Bryan, LA City Council President Pro Tempore Marqueece Harris-Dawson, who was one of the event partners, and many more.

In November 2023, WHAA was announced as a finalist for The Lewis Prize For Music 2024 Accelerator Awards.

Support Music Education in South Los Angeles

By White Hall Arts Academy Foundation

Support Music Education in South Los Angeles

Creating Creators