Hey AMP Family! This was brought to my attention from one of our members. I want to clarify something important regarding the mentor/mentee pairings inside AMP. The purpose of these connections is never to create unpaid labor or to make anyone feel obligated to work for free. The reason I'm pairing people together is because I truly believe artists and creatives grow faster when they are no longer isolated. Most independent artists are trying to survive the music business completely alone. No real support system. No trusted people to bounce ideas off of. No accountability. No community. And the truth is, the industry has conditioned creatives to compete instead of build together. AMP was created to change that. These pairings are meant to create:• Connection• Support• Accountability• Shared growth• Collaboration• Encouragement• Real community This is simply about artists and creatives getting to know one another, building relationships, sharing experiences, and helping each other grow. This connection is not to be considered a reason to charge anyone for the connection and support itself. HOWEVER… I also want to make something very clear: Your skills, your time, your creativity, your production, your engineering, your writing, your strategy, your design work, your experience, and your gifts STILL have value. If someone within the community eventually wants to hire you for actual services, projects, production, management help, branding, mixing, songwriting, marketing, visuals, or anything beyond casual support and community guidance outside of what we are doing within the AMP curriculum, you SHOULD charge for your work. Please do not undervalue yourselves. The music industry already has a long history of creatives being exploited, overworked, and expected to give endless value for “exposure” or “support.” AMP is not built on that foundation. Community does not mean free labor. Support does not mean access to your expertise without boundaries. And collaboration should still come with mutual respect.