BETHLEHEM, Pa. — At a stage at this year's Musikfest, a class of Bethlehem's Freedom High School marketing students will be cheering one of its own.
T'Byus Briggs, a singer and dancer, is the winner of Freedom's F.A.M.E contest, an online competition that pits student musicians against each other in a social media vote.
Briggs, a junior, also is a member of the Musikfest marketing class course taught at Freedom and Liberty high schools.
Marketing Musikfest is an elective course that gives students real-world experience in choosing bands for ArtsQuest's huge Musikfest festival in downtown and South Side Bethlehem.
The festival will observe its 42nd anniversary with its annual run July 31-Aug. 10.
On Thursday, the marketing students revealed their upcoming artists who will perform at the free concerts on the Plaza Tropical Stage on Aug. 2.
"I always said I wanted to be a musician, and to be able to have this opportunity is magnified to me."Singer T'Byus Briggs
In anticipation of his Musikfest debut (his first time performing on a public stage), Briggs sang a cover of Chris Brown's "Wall to Wall" inside the Frank Banko Alehouse Cinema.
Brown, Usher and Mary J. Blige are some of his inspirations, he said.
"I always said I wanted to be a musician, and to be able to have this opportunity is magnified to me," he said. "It's humbling for me to be able to do this for you all."
His performance is scheduled for 4 p.m. on Aug. 2.
Learning the ropes
Following Briggs will be Ballistic Berry and Alter Ego, a group of Freedom and Wilson Area high school students.
Alter Ego won 2023's F.A.M.E contest and will perform at Musikfest for the second time.
John Lowey, bassist for the band, also is a student in Freedom's marketing class.
"For the past three years, we've played live shows all over the Lehigh Valley, even some in Jersey," Lowey said. "We're trying to find our sound and who we are as a band.
"Since the start of 2022, half of our band is in college, and we've been on a small hiatus, but hopefully this summer we'll be releasing new music."
Ballistic Berry, based out of Asbury Park, New Jersey, performs a mix of classic rock, contemporary pop and indie music.
"I reached out to some bands, and they never answered back. So I just tried to focus on local performers."Yurdi Garcia, a student at Liberty High School
Liberty High School's band selections are Swing the Cat, SLAMB, Alex Cano and the Skating Party.
In the classroom, students were given access to Sonicbids, a music industry website that connects bands, music promoters and major brands through an online platform.
"I reached out to some bands, and they never answered back," Yurdi Garcia, a student at Liberty, said. "So I just tried to focus on local performers.
"The one band that I chose, Alex Cano, I didn't think would respond, but I was excited when he did."
Garcia said the class tried to choose music from different genres, as diverse as pop darlings and beachy tunes, so that everything doesn't sound the same onstage.
On-the-job experience
Marketing Musikfest is the brainchild of ArtsQuest Chief Programming Officer Patrick Brogan and Bethlehem School District Assistant Superintendent Jack Silva.
The course started in 2012 and often leads to students pursuing a career in entertainment and music production, officials said.
"One of my favorite lessons I've learned in my own education is that life is really one big group project. What the students at the Marketing Musikfest class achieve transcends the shows."ArtsQuest Chief Programming Officer Patrick Brogan
"Many times we think about planning for careers, we're thinking about manufacturing or we're thinking about healthcare," Silva said.
"One thing that many people don't know is that the arts community is one of the biggest employers and one of the most rewarding careers in Bethlehem."
Brogan said several of the marketing students have gone on to intern with ArtsQuest or have had successful careers in similar fields.
"One of my favorite lessons I've learned in my own education is that life is really one big group project," he said. "What the students at the Marketing Musikfest class achieve transcends the shows.
" The true achievement of the classes is their teamwork of their groups and the collective whole of the class and what that brings forward to the whole community."
For the complete Musikfest lineup and schedule, visit the festival website.
