CHICAGO (WBBM NEWSRADIO) — Award-winning songwriter Justin Tranter was in town this weekend and visited their alma mater, the Chicago Academy for the Arts.
The visit came after they made a $500,000 donation to the school.
According to the school, the money will go toward tuition assistance and ensuring young artists have access to a nurturing environment, no matter their economic background.
Tranter is best known for their collaborations with Imagine Dragons, Justin Bieber, Selena Gomez, Britney Spears, Dua Lipa, and more.
They told WBBM that they owe a great deal of their success to the Chicago Academy for the Arts.
"If I didn't go to the Chicago Academy for the Arts, I don't even know if I would be alive, let alone be the artist that I am," Tranter said.
Although Tranter said they originally attended the school to study musical theater, they started to feel pulled toward songwriting.
"They made it possible for me to still learn about musical theater but spend a little bit more time in the music department to explore my passion for songwriting," Tranter said.
Tranter added that their experience at the Chicago Academy for the Arts set them on the path to be the hit songwriter they are today.
Jason Petara, the Head of School at the Chicago Academy for the Arts, said Tranter's donation will account for roughly one-third of the average cost, each year, for the school to provide tuition assistance for blossoming artists.
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