City's First American Idol Helps Host Children’s Music Workshop

BIRMINGHAM, Ala. -- Birmingham’s first American Idol, Ruben Studdard, is set to release his second album in about a month, but it’s his work in the community that’s making headlines.

Studdard and UAB professor Dr. Henry Panion have been working in a new Birmingham recording studio to teach children about careers in the music industry.

During the summer they hosted 150 students at the Technical Arts Academy.

“We had them writing music for journalistic shows, making podcasts. We showed them how to do that and basically (how to do) Web pages and broadcasting and creating an album,” said Panion.

Panion co-produced Studdard’s second album, Return of the Velvet Teddy Bear, which is set to hit shelves Sept. 26.