Celebration of Young Musical Prodigies in Philadelphia's Music Fest
The Philadelphia Youth Music Fest returned for its second year with a bang, showcasing the city's next generation of musical talent at the Dell Music Center in East Fairmount Park.
Organised by Matthew Kerr, founder of the youth music program Beyond the Bars, the festival emphasised community collaboration and the importance of supporting young people in their creative pursuits. Kerr highlighted that young people in Philadelphia often receive a bad rap for delinquent behavior, but there are many who are involved in community-based activities such as organizing food drives and music lessons.
Attendees of the festival were treated to a wide range of performances from youth representing different genres and creative expressions. Among the participants were young artists like Miguel (known as "SZN") and Kahsaan ("TK the Hill"), who emphasised that the festival is a celebration of young people’s creativity and leadership across Philadelphia’s communities.
One highlighted organisation performing was Musicopia, which presented performances from its summer drumline programs during the festival. This focus on percussion and ensemble acts reflected community engagement and youth development in music.
Besides the drumline programs, the festival aimed to spotlight young leaders and their artistic output, which can span from rap and hip-hop to other youth-driven musical styles. Other youth music festivals in the city, such as the Bösendorfer Youth Music Festival hosted by the German Society of Pennsylvania, focused on classical music with solo and ensemble performances by young musicians from grades 1 through 12. The Hamazkayin Armenian Music Festival in Philadelphia showcased youth performing Armenian traditional music.
Thirty vendors were present at the festival, offering services and opportunities such as The Black Brain Campaign, Come Read With Us, and free haircuts provided by Ronald Martin, also known as Ron Da Barber, who expressed a desire for more haircuts at music festivals.
Jour-nae Barnes, an artist instructor currently studying music education at Berklee College of Music, led a chorus from the North Philly neighborhood arts program in a performance. The Village of Arts and Humanities was one of the community programs that sent its young people to perform at the festival.
Matthew Kerr emphasised that the festival was never only about music, stating that people need more than just music, food, and shelter, and that community support is essential for everyone to thrive. A group of kids played a fantasy board game and another threw around a football during unstructured activity at the festival.
The Philly Youth Music Fest was launched last year at Venice Island in Manayunk with about 200 people attending. Although just a fraction of the Dell's 5,300 seats were taken, the festival still attracted approximately 1,000 kids. For its second year, the festival more than quadrupled in size.
Performances at the festival included rapping from FamFrequency, the School District of Philadelphia's All-Star Marching Band, a fuzzed guitar cover of Elle King's "Ex's & Oh's" from Rock to the Future, and Nevaeh Fiers of Project 440 singing a cover of Sade's "Smooth Operator." The festival was a testament to the city's diverse youth music culture and a celebration of the creative talent and leadership among Philadelphia’s young people.
- Beyond the Bars' Philadelphia Youth Music Fest, organized by Matthew Kerr, not only showcases the city's musical talent but also highlights the importance of supporting young people in various creative pursuits, such as fashion-and-beauty, food-and-drink, home-and-garden, and relationships.
- The festival emphasized community involvement, reminding us that many young people in Philadelphia are actively engaged in community-based activities, such as organizing food drives, music lessons, and even shopping for necessities.
- In addition to music, the festival featured vendors offering services and opportunities, including The Black Brain Campaign, which focuses on personal development and shopping for knowledge, and Ron Da Barber, who provided free haircuts, embodying the importance of personal grooming and pets in our lifestyle.
- As the festival expanded to encompass the Dell Music Center, it provided a platform for young leaders from diverse backgrounds to showcase their artistic output, not just in music, but also in areas like travel and cars, with performances ranging from rap and hip-hop to cover songs of popular artists, reflecting the city's diverse youth culture.
