A Lehigh Valley music nonprofit has announced the return of a program that allows participants to live out their rockstar dreams.
Lehigh Valley Girls Rock said in a release that the third edition of its Band Factory program is returning later this year.
The Band Factory is open to cisgender women, trans and non-binary people aged 18 and up. Sign-ups are free, and open until Sept. 11.
Interested participants can sign up with friends, or individually and be assigned to a band. No musical experience is required.
Bands will pick a name, decide where and when to practice, and write up to three songs. Band managers will be provided to assist.
The groups will compete in a fundraising competition to see which one can raise the most money and solicit the most donors for LVGR. The organization said funds will support its Get LOUD Camp youth program.
According to the LVGR website, bands will have a monetary goal each month, with prizes being awarded monthly to the band that raises the most money and the one with the most donors. A grand prize will also be awarded.
The program culminates with performances for a live audience at a showcase event on Nov. 17 at National Sokols in Bethlehem.
The LVGR's website says the first Band Factory, held in 2018, helped form seven new bands, while its 2019 edition yielded nine new groups.
Jennifer Alpha, LVGR’s board president and a former participant in the Band Factory, said the program is “like getting folks to sponsor you for a 5k race – only this time they sponsor you to make music.”
“In past years, The Band Factory raised over $10,000 with each edition, which is so impactful for an organization of our size,” Alpha said in the release.
“But as importantly, it gives our participants a platform to meet people, learn about themselves, and do something they maybe never thought they could do.”
Lehigh Valley Girls Rock works to empower cisgender girls and women, plus trans and nonbinary people through music and art.
“We love watching the Lehigh Valley music scene diversify, and we’re grateful to be a part of it,” Alpha said.
(Original air-date: 9/7/23)
