Strolling Wynwood on certain days of the month, you just may bump into its Live Music Concert Series among the murals and galleries.
The free, monthly outdoor concerts featuring young talent from Miami Beach Senior High are spearheaded by the Wynwood Business Improvement District (BID), the area’s municipal board of property owners, in partnership with Young Musicians Unite (YMU), a nonprofit committed to providing Miami-Dade students with a free music education.
(Courtesy of Young Musicians Unite)
Students from Miami Beach jamming at J. Wakefield Brewing, located at 120 NW 24th St.
“Music brings people together,” emphasized Manny Gonzalez, Wynwood BID’s executive director. “By adding in a family-welcoming and open-air element, we will have an ongoing program that will make Wynwood an even more inviting, culturally exciting place to visit.”
Launched in January, the next iterations of the series will take place March 16, April 20 and May 11. Audiences can expect to hear diverse genres including folk, singer-songwriter, pop and jazz from the terraces, bars and lobbies of five staple Wynwood locations: Rodilla, Lombardi Properties, Panther Coffee, J. Wakefield Brewing and Miami Mojito Company.
(Courtesy of Young Musicians Unite)
Students in the Young Musicians Unite program performing at Miami Mojito Company, located at 2509 NW Second Ave.
Beyond adding to Wynwood’s ambiance, the heart of the initiative is to connect the community with its creatives. By showcasing talent birthed out of the art district, the series hopes to remedy any disconnect between the two by fostering an appreciation for the arts and serving as an inspiration for community members who wish to dabble in the creative themselves.
“If you’re a stakeholder in the community or paying tax dollars, you want to know what is the work being done in our institutions,” said YMU’s chief operating officer, Zachary Larmer. “Having a public display of the amazing progress and work is something really enriching for everybody.”
It seems the love goes both ways as local businesses involved in the effort have welcomed the cultural benefits brought to Wynwood through the series with excitement and pride.
“We’ve seen the neighborhood change and evolve around us dramatically,” shared Alfred Hernadez, taproom manager for J. Wakefield Brewing. “Being able to still be here and give back to the ever-changing community is extremely important.”
Serving more than 4,000 students across 40 schools in Miami Beach, Miami Gardens, Miami and Homestead, YMU believes that every student deserves access to music education regardless of their socioeconomic background. Its after-school programs include opportunities for students to learn about rock and jazz performance, songwriting and beat making, audio recording and mixing, stage production and vocational internships. YMU’s performing ensembles participate in more than 120 youth showcases a year.
ArtburstMiami.com is a nonprofit media source for the arts featuring fresh and original stories by writers dedicated to theater, dance, visual arts, film, music and more.
(Courtesy of Young Musicians Unite)
Patrons enjoying the vibe courtesy of Miami Beach student artists at Panther Coffee, located at 2390 NW Second Ave.