The Uptown Music Collective is set to present its annual free Summer Music Festival on Saturday, July 28th at Williamsport’s Brandon Park Band Shell. The day’s festivities will begin at noon with free music performances all day, as well as food vendors, raffles, and more. The event will culminate with an exclusive, one-time-only performance entitled The UMC’s Summer Soul Revue.

Music will run throughout the day and feature a variety of performances including the annual Collective Summer Music Showcase, in which Collective students are featured performing songs of their choosing in full-band arrangements.

The Collective will be a running a raffle throughout the day. The grand prize, given away before the closing of the event, will be a brand new electric guitar donated by K&S Music South Williamsport. Food vendors including Bruster’s Ice Cream, Leonard’s Backyard Bistro, Brasil on Wheels and Derone’s Dynamite Dogs. This is a family event designed to engage all ages of children and adults through high-quality live music.

The primary entertainment throughout the afternoon will be the school’s Summer Music Showcase, presented by UMC students in full-band configurations. Showcases feature the school’s younger and beginner students. The Uptown Music Collective holds frequent showcases and offers many performance opportunities to its current students as part of its curriculum. The Summer Music Showcase is a much-anticipated performance event for the students of the Uptown Music Collective, many of whom have been preparing for months for this opportunity to perform to family, friends, and the Williamsport community on the Band Shell stage.

“Our student showcases are always an exciting time for the Collective,” said Jared Mondell, UMC Assistant Director. “It’s a chance for everyone to check out the upcoming talent at the Collective. The Summer Showcase is especially exciting because of its part in our annual Summer Music Fest, the whole thing makes for a great family day in the park!”

The day will conclude with an exclusive, one-time performance called The UMC’s Summer Soul Revue which will feature the Collective’s much heralded Special Performance Group 1 students performing Motown & soul classics from artists and groups such as The Temptations, Aretha Franklin, Marvin Gaye, The Jackson 5, and more.

Established in April of 2000, the Uptown Music Collective (a nonprofit school of music) has developed a reputation as the premier source of music education in the area. Offering private lessons at all levels on guitar, bass, drums, keyboards, and vocals, as well as free classes and workshops in music theory, songwriting, and styles such as the Blues, Jazz, Classical, and Rock. The primary age range of the Collective is 10-18 yrs old but is open to all ages and levels. The program brings outstanding student run performances to the area, including most recently, Gimme Shelter: A Tribute to The Rolling Stones. The Uptown Music Collective is committed to being a valuable musical presence in the community.

The Summer Music Fest is sponsored by K & S Music South Williamsport. Media sponsors include Lamar Advertising, NorthcentalPA.Com, The Graphic Hive, Engage Media, along with WZXR and all of Backyard Broadcasting. For more information, contact the Uptown Music Collective at 570-329-0888 or visit www.uptownmusic.org.