Lehigh Valley Charter Arts High School Partners with Musikfest to Present Bands at 2016 Festival

BETHLEHEM, June 3, 2016–When attendees visit Musikfest this summer, they’ll enjoy performances by groups from around the globe. Included among the 350-plus performers this year are four that have been booked by a rather unlikely source – students from a high school that’s located only two blocks from the festival grounds!

This year the nonprofit ArtsQuest, which presents Musikfest, and the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts (Charter Arts) have partnered to present an afternoon of programming called “Chartsfest.” The day of free, live music was developed out of the innovative music-in-education program that ArtsQuest offers to area high schools called “Marketing Musikfest.”

Earlier this spring, Charter Arts students were selected to take part in the school’s first Marketing Musikfest Class, led by ArtsQuest Senior Vice President of Programming Patrick Brogan and Charter Arts’ Director of Development, Debra Storm. During the semester, students learned about the platforms ArtsQuest uses to select acts for Musikfest, how to book bands, marketing strategies for promoting their groups and more. Students were broken into four groups, with each tasked with booking one band for the Plaza Tropical stage at Musikfest. On Aug. 6, from noon-4 p.m., the students’ hard work will come to fruition as they present their bands in front of a live audience.

“Through participation in the Musikfest Marketing Program, our students have enjoyed a valuable learning experience,” says Diane LaBelle, Executive Director & CEO of the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts. “We are grateful to ArtsQuest for their continued support of our school and we look forward to future collaborations.”

Among the performers at Chartsfest are Ju-tuan (2 p.m.), a genre defying band that got its start as an R&B group from Williamstown, N.J. Ju-tuan has appeared at B.B. King’s Blues Club in Times Square, where it won “Best Male R&B group” at the Underground Music Awards, and has been named one of R&B Showcase Magazine’s “Artist to Watch” and Billboard Magazine’s “Top 10 New R&B Artists.” The group’s most popular single is “By the River,” which received 10,000 views on Youtube and ranked No. 87 on Billboard’s AAA charts.

Formed in 2013, the Mellowells are an alternative indie rock band from Annville, Pa. The group, which consists of Jesse Barki, John DiCocco, Caden Myers and Cory Paternoster, presents original music that is derived from the members’ vast influences and inspirations. The band will take the stage at 1 p.m.

At 3 p.m., the Plaza Tropical crowd can experience The Line of Fire, a three-piece rock band from Allentown that puts on a high-energy live show. The group’s original songs are alt rock and blues-based tunes that feature strong melodies and powerful compositions.

Kicking off the day at noon is the Brian Colburn Band. Colburn has been a mainstay of the New Jersey music scene for more than a decade. His music is grounded in soaring melodies and memorable hooks, giving his music a cross-genre appeal. Colburn has opened for acts like Blues Traveler and Toad The Wet Sprocket, while also making guest appearances during performances by artists such as From Good Homes.

Started in 2013, the Marketing Musikfest program is designed to help the students develop hands-on marketing skills and real-world work experience by booking and promoting bands at the festival. Through the leadership of their advisor, Debra Storm, and ArtsQuest Senior Vice President of Programming Patrick Brogan, the Charter Arts students discovered various aspects of the festival such as event planning, marketing, production and public relations. The students will use their newly-learned skills to help spread the word about the concerts and the festival throughout the coming months.

For more information on the Musikfest, including Chartsfest, visit www.musikfest.org.

To learn more about the Lehigh Valley Charter High School for the Arts, visit www.CharterArts.org or call 610-868-2971.