A Joyful Noise

A Joyful Noise

Let’s be honest: The pandemic has been hard on everyone, but for the young people in our midst, maneuvering through the past year of isolation has been, in many respects, downright brutal. No high school sports, no proms and graduations to look forward to, not even casual Friday night hangouts with friends. And for many musically inclined kids, perhaps most difficult of all, no bands.

Getting together with like-minded friends in a garage or basement with a drum kit, a few electric guitars and maybe even a keyboard to perform some punk classics or explore the edges of teenage angst with a few original tunes is an adolescent rite of passage. Though it’s certainly not the biggest of tragedies in 2020, among the young music makers, it’s certainly affected the creative psyche.

Which is why we’re happy to report that live music is back, if only in a small way. On June 11, the Southampton Town Youth Bureau hosted its live 18th Battle of the Bands at Ponquogue Beach. Though the number of audience members allowed to attend was limited, and just two bands competed this year — En Fuego and Flooded Harbour, whose members hail primarily from Westhampton Beach High School — the event provided a glimmer of light (and music) at the end of a long pandemic tunnel. In the end, En Fuego took home the winning plaque, but we applaud both bands for staying true to their craft through the long, dark days of 2020.

Applause, too, for the Town of Southampton, for instituting this program in the first place. For nearly two decades, the Battle of the Bands has given teenage musicians a real and substantive outlet in which to showcase their talents.

And, speaking of talents, Kelly Connaughton Dodds, founder of the Sag Harbor American Music Festival, is seeking out local musicians to share their original music and possibly be well-rewarded for their efforts.

Now through June 30, the festival’s “Young Musicians Initiative” is accepting submissions by Suffolk County bands and solo artists between the ages 15 and 26. The winner of the competition will record a song with Grammy Award-winning recording engineer Cynthia Daniels at her MonkMusic Studios in Amagansett, which will be released as part of a promo EP distributed to radio stations and across social media. In addition, the top performers in several categories — including vocal, instrumental, band and songwriting — will create a professional video of a song produced by LTV. Winners will also receive a cash award for professional development, a music mentor and a paid performance at this fall’s Sag Harbor American Music Festival.

Given the track record of previous young local musicians who have left the area and gone on to find success in the music business, we couldn’t be more pleased that the adults in the room are not only listening, they’re giving our teens an opportunity to shine, shred and, yes, even thrash.

Rock on, young ones.