Follow the Music at YBG Festival

Since launching in 2023 Follow the Music has been at the forefront of a rising movement promoting arts education around the Bay Area. The nonprofit organization introduces its next phase with an emerging artists music festival designed to showcase aspiring young musicians. Bringing families and young people from all over the region to the urban oasis of the Gardens, Follow the Music celebrates the Bay Area's unrivaled cultural heritage by building a bridge between that legacy and the young people carrying it forward. Featuring musicians ages 14-25, the event includes musicians from the San Francisco Community Music Center, Oakland School for the Arts, SFJAZZ, GLIDE Memorial Church, Blue Bear School of Music, Elevate Oakland, Enriching Lives Through Music and other organizations. Drawing on the Bay Area’s cultural diversity, the lineup crosses genres from classical and jazz to soul, rock and Latin jazz. It also features guest speakers from music, sports and popular culture. A community resource fair provides families and students with opportunities to connect directly with many Bay Area music education programs while learning about classes and scholarships. The muse can take many pathways and Follow the Music is here to ensure that all are open.

Oakland Rising, a collective developed in partnership with Follow the Music, anchors the program. The group includes B. Deveaux, August Lee Stevens, Ayo Brame and MeloDious, all rising stars continuing Oakland’s fervent musical and cultural legacy.