Did you know….

…the U.S. live music industry is expected to grow to $11 Billion by 2019, up from $9 Billion in 2014?

As Streaming Services like Spotify, Tidal and Apple Music make it easier and cheaper for consumers to gain access to recorded material, artists are relying more and more on their live performances to maintain relevance and financial stability. While Aspiring Young Artists was originally founded with a goal of exposing High School students to the processes of songwriting and recording, we too have realized that it is essential for our artists to begin performing frequently if they hope to gain a footing in the industry.

That’s why…

…we’ve shifted our focus over the past 6 months to include monthly performance opportunities for every young artist in our program. Taking the stage to perform an original song can be terrifying, whether its your first, second, third, 100th, or 1000th time. And like everything else, it takes a process of preparation, practice, and feedback to craft a stage presence that feels right for both yourself and the audience. Because of this, we celebrate the little victories with each of our students, and coach them towards how to create an even more dynamic, engaging, and expressive performance the next time around. Below, you can listen to one of our newest artists, John, discuss his own feelings after his first performance- touching on the new connection he felt with his audience and his music, and the deeper sense of purpose it gave him to share it in this way.