Students at Watts School Surprised With Brand New Music Production Studio

LOS ANGELES (CBSLA) – Music students at a school in Watts got a big surprise Thursday when they arrived to class to find that a new state-of-the-art music production studio had been installed.

The studio was built in a classroom at Markham Middle School. The construction of the studio was done in secret and thanks to a donation through a charity created by New Zealand rap artist Lil' Mussie.

The studio includes beat pads, Fender guitars and an electric keyboard. The plan is also to add a recording booth.

It also has a plant wall that includes a neon sign which reads "Bread Wall." It also has a mural which features Black artists who grew up in Watts, including Nipsey Hussle and Tyrese Gibson. The mural was created by artist Tehrell Porter.

"I know that we can produce the next artist that eventually will end up on someone's mural in their school," Markham Middle School Assistant Principal Yumi Kawasaki told CBSLA.