This year, 13 amazing artists stepped into the studio to record songs for our two albums with YouthBuild Philadelphia and Girard College. While there were countless moments throughout the year that were meaningful to us, we wanted to share just a few memories here that were particularly special to us this year:
“This was on my bucket list…”
Take another look at the 3 pictures above. Each represents a moment that made us especially proud as a program this year:
- Top Photo: Bryan (left) is one of our most inspiring students. Despite a speech impediment that makes performing his lyrics challenging, he pushed through a 3-hour recording session with full support from his mentor Jeide (right) and one of our alumni Roland (center). Since completing our program 2 years ago, Roland has been working with younger artists in his neighborhood to share their gifts, and is scheduled to join us as a mentor next year! You can check out Bryan’s song on our SoundCloud page under his artist moniker Brizz.
- Left Photo: Our student Keyannah struggled to finish her song in the weeks leading up to her session, but she was determined because writing and recording a song was “on her bucket list.” 3 weeks later, she went on to cross off another item on that list- performing live at our Album Release Party. Check out her AMAZING performance here.
- Center Photo: Tamere (left) and Terry (right) are graduating seniors at Girard College with a world of musical talent. We were blessed to connect them to their mentor Lee who helped them translate some of their ideas into sounds and eventually to a finished product.
- Left Photo: Kennisha (left) was especially nervous to step into the studio after writing her song alongside mentor Dominique (right). Luckily, she had her best friend and fellow AYA student Kenyetta (center/being held) to add an extra layer of support through the process. In the end, both students recorded beautiful songs that were played at our Album Release Party on June 12th.
These are the moments we believe in- when artists come together to support each other through learning, struggling, and succeeding. They are the moments where our core values of Creativity, Confidence, and Community are on display. Thanks for sharing them with us and looking forward to creating more memories next year. Much love!