.png)
.png)
Jeremiah F. Page
Founder & Executive Director, The Soul Vanguard Foundation
Co-founder, Soul Champion Music Academy
Jeremiah F. Page is a community-centered leader whose work blends music education, & evidence based social emotional learning. Originally from Columbia, South Carolina, he began his career as a Clinical Chaplain with the South Carolina Department of Mental Health and later became a Certified Chaplain Educator with Prisma Health, serving at The University of Virginia Medical Center and other major health systems.
Jeremiah has pastored three United Methodist congregations, focusing on spiritual and emotional care for underserved communities. His passion for evidence based social emotional learning was shaped by his mentor, Dr. Nicholas Cooper-Lewter, founder of Soul Therapy and former tenured professor with the University of South Carolina’s School of Social Work, psychotherapist, and author.
Through Jeremiah's work with Claude Whitfield of Back Spinz Music Academy, Jeremiah discovered turntablism and the power of music to transform young creatives’ lives. As one of the visionaries behind Soul Champion Music Academy, he advances workforce development and holistic health through social and emotional learning, somatic education, and tech literacy in digital music creation.
Claude Whitfield
Founder & Executive Director, BackSpinz Music Academy
Co-founder, Soul Champion Music Academy
Claude Whitfield is an award‑winning DJ, educator, entrepreneur, and community leader with more than 20 years of experience in music, entertainment, and youth development. As Founder and Executive Director of Back Spinz Music Academy and Co‑Founder of Soul Champion Music Academy, he empowers young people through music, creativity, and culture.
For over 16 years, Claude has used music as a vehicle for education and mentorship, helping hundreds of emerging creatives build technical skills, confidence, leadership, and career pathways. Under his leadership, Back Spinz has become a hub in Charlotte’s creative community, offering hands‑on training in DJing, music production, audio engineering, podcasting, artist development, and creative entrepreneurship.
Claude also serves as Creative Director of the CLT DJ Battle and established Charlotte DJ Appreciation Day, a city‑recognized celebration of DJs’ impact on culture and community. As a mentor, speaker, and advocate, he partners with schools, nonprofits, and organizations to expand access to arts education and workforce opportunities—creating spaces where talent, culture, and community meet.
At Soul Champion Music Academy, we empower individuals by blending social emotional learning, tech literacy, & somatic awareness through the dynamic art of DJing. We cultivate self-expression, resilience, & connection, turning music into a transformative tool for personal and community growth which influences young creatives for workforce development.
Jeremiah's connection to music started at a young age sitting behind a drum set. Feeling the rhythm in his hands taught him that sound wasn't just something heard but felt in the entire body.
Years later, that truth clicked deeper inside a local restaurant. The room was tense, and a group of young people were on the verge of turning a heated argument into violence. Stepping over to the jukebox, he selected a song that shifted the energy instantly. As the rhythm filled the room, the tension dissolved and became a singalong. Music didn't just entertain, it de-escalated, created cohesion, and healed the atmosphere.