We’re looking forward to introducing you to Tanisha Hall. Check out our conversation below.
Good morning Tanisha, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? What do you think is misunderstood about your business?
The main thing that is misunderstood about my business is the assumption that we only serve youth. The fact is, we serve all ages! Our community programs and group classes are mainly for youth, but we offer private music lessons for students from 4 through adult. Our oldest student is 73 years old and has been taking piano lessons with us for 10 years.
Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
I’m Tanisha Hall, founder and Executive Director of White Hall Arts Academy in South Los Angeles. I started WHAA in 2011 in the same building where my grandmother, Fannie White, ran her business — White House Beauty Salon — for more than 40 years. I’m proud to continue her legacy of community service by transforming that same space into a creative home where music and the arts become tools for opportunity and empowerment. What began as a small studio teaching piano and voice has grown into a full-scale community arts organization serving hundreds of students each year through programs that range from early childhood music classes to professional workforce training in live entertainment production.
What makes our work special is that we don’t just teach the arts, we use them to break cycles of inequity. We serve children as young as four discovering their creative interests in our HeARTbeats program, teens exploring creative technology through Project MusZed, and young adults training for careers as audio engineers, lighting designers, and camera operators through our Soundworks workforce development program. We also teach nearly 200 people a year in private music lessons, including piano, guitar, violin, drums, bass, and voice.
Right now, we’re focused on expanding those pathways — building stronger pipelines into careers in the creative economy, deepening school and community partnerships, and proving that talent lives on every block of South LA. Our mission is simple: to make sure no creative dream goes unrealized because of a lack of access or opportunity.
Amazing, so let’s take a moment to go back in time. What was your earliest memory of feeling powerful?
My earliest memory of feeling powerful came when I was 14. My mom was an assistant pastor at our church, which meant we were there all the time — like three or four days a week. The other pastor’s kids and I were always bored, just sitting around. One day, we were roaming the church being nosy and stumbled across a closet full of abandoned instruments. I ran straight to the pastor and asked if we could use them to start a youth band. He shrugged and said, “Sure, do whatever you want — just don’t break anything.”
I was thrilled. I went to my friends and said, “Guess what? Pastor said we can start a band! I’ll play piano, you play drums, you grab the guitar…” Every Wednesday and Sunday, we’d drag those instruments up from the closet to the youth room and rock out. I have no idea if we were any good, but we had a blast.
Looking back, that was probably the beginning of my journey as a community organizer. So much of what I do today still starts the same way — with a spark of an idea and the energy to rally people around it. That’s the power of community: one person can have an idea, but when everyone comes together, magic happens.
What have been the defining wounds of your life—and how have you healed them?
One of the most defining wounds of my life happened about 20 years ago. I was managing a group of sisters I had vocal coached for nearly five years. We were more than a team — we felt like family. I was the “fifth Beatle,” deeply invested in their journey, and I had poured tens of thousands of dollars and countless hours into their development. I truly believed we were on the verge of making a real impact in the music industry together.
But when our five-year management contract came up for renewal, everything changed. Despite all the success, momentum, and opportunities on the table, the group decided they didn’t want to continue working with me — not even in any capacity. It was a heartbreaking betrayal. I wasn’t just their manager, I had helped shape them into one of the best female vocal groups around at the time, and suddenly I was on the outside.
I turned to a mentor for advice, and he told me something I’ll never forget: “If they don’t want to work with you or can’t see your value, wish them the best, wash your hands, and walk away. They are not your source — God is.” It wasn’t easy to hear, but I took his advice and walked away.
Almost immediately, new doors began to open. A friend I shared the story with offered me a job and within one year I on one of the biggest arena tours of the year. A year year after that, I launched White Hall Arts Academy. What felt like one of my deepest wounds turned out to be one of my greatest blessings.
That experience taught me two powerful lessons: first, that my worth is not determined by who chooses to work with me, and second, that endings often clear the way for something even greater. The time I spent developing that group sharpened my craft and prepared me to impact thousands of lives around the world — and for that, I’m deeply grateful.
So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
This is a great question. The truth is, the public version of me is the real me. I’m the same person 100 percent of the time. Who I am at home is who I am at work. Who I am with my children is who I am with my WHAA babies. Who I am with my friends is who I am with my clients and colleagues. I sometimes wish I could code-switch or tone it down, but I’m completely transparent — it is what it is, lol.
What I’ve been told is a liability, I’ve learned to embrace as an asset. I try to live my life with integrity, hold myself to the highest standards, and always do my best. That authenticity gives me the confidence — and the audacity — to speak up and challenge things that aren’t right.
Choosing to be a leader means choosing to represent more than just myself. It means being a voice for change and an advocate for those who might not otherwise be heard. I take that responsibility very seriously and approach my work with a deep commitment to creating equitable access and opportunities for others.
Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. Are you tap dancing to work? Have you been that level of excited at any point in your career? If so, please tell us about those days.
I’m absolutely tap dancing to work. I’m incredibly proud of what I’ve built and honestly, 14 years ago, I never imagined I’d be here. Today, White Hall Arts Academy is thriving — we have a staff of nearly 20 people, contracts at four schools across our target communities of Compton, Watts, Inglewood, and South LA, and we’ve raised over $1 million to fund Soundworks, our groundbreaking workforce development program that’s training veterans, justice-involved individuals, and transitional aged foster youth for careers in the entertainment industry. And it’s working — graduates are getting jobs, including two Cohort 1 participants who were recently hired at The Miracle Theater in Inglewood!
We teach over 100 students in weekly private lessons, serve as the resident home of Savage Learning Center (a homeschool learning club) and California Dance Academy, and our Saturday Sessions classes are completely full — with enrollment up 40% from 2023. WHAA also oversees the music and audio/visual departments at Ashanti United Church of Christ, and we continue to expand our reach and impact year after year.
But beyond all the numbers, what makes me tap dance into work every day is the environment we’ve created. My team loves being here — we laugh, we collaborate, and we make great music together. Most of all, I’m proud that WHAA has become a safe space for me and for the community — a place filled with love, music, harmony, and joy.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.whitehallacademy.org
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/whitehallartsacademy
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/tanishahallwhaa
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitehallartsacademy
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/white-hall-arts-academy-los-angeles
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@whitehallartsacademy
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/tanisha-hall
- Other: https://www.tanishahall.com
Image Credits
Tanisha Hall headshot credit Sheldon Botler
