Concluding a day of jubilant blue notes, athletic guitar bends, and chest-deep vocal rumbles at this year’s 20th Annual Billtown Blues Festival, the students of the Uptown Music Collective presented a two-hour history of the blues in which students performed expertly in a variety of blues styles, from the Delta whine of Robert Johnson to the Texas wail of Stevie Ray Vaughn. Uptown Music Collective director Dave Brumbaugh described the eclectic performance as a kind of “Blues 101”, something as true for the performers on stage as for the audience watching the performance. Said alto saxophonist Nuria Hunter, 15, of Williamsport Area High School, “Listening to all the different blues musicians whose music we’ve learned has been the most rewarding part of this experience.”

Featuring two student announcers dressed as the Blues Brothers, a three-piece horn section, and a total cast of about thirty student musicians who seamlessly filtered on and off stage over the course of the show, this performance demonstrated yet again the incredible ability and versatility of the students of the Uptown Music Collective. The exceedingly capable performers played such celebrated blues songs as B.B King’s “Why I Got the Blues” and Robert Johnson’s “They’re Red Hot” with humor, feeling, and such a high degree of professionalism that it was easy to forget that the musicians onstage were teenage students and not seasoned musicians with years of experience, like the Festival’s other performers.

Especially notable was the Bonnie Raitt song “Love Sneaking Up on You”, which showcased singer and guitarist Anna Physher, 17, in the role of Raitt, performing with zeal and composure as she sang in Raitt’s sultry alto and played Raitt’s melodic slidelines with passion and precision. Though not featured in this selection, the horn section, under the direction of Bryan Stillman, 16, a Williamsport Area High School graduate, added an intriguing layer of energetic charisma to the performance through tight, rhythmic punches and catchy harmonized lines. The show ended with a breathtaking performance of Stevie Ray Vaughn’s “Crossfire”, in which young guitarist Dylan Rockoff, 14, of Loyalsock Middle School, artfully manhandled his guitar with the same violent precision as the Texas blues legend, replicating Vaughn’s reckless virtuosity and athletic bravado with such fire that his age was quickly forgotten in the face of such astounding musical ability. Speaking to the Williamsport Sun-Gazette, Willi Ort, director of the blues curriculum at the Uptown Music Collective, described Rockoff’s performance as “99 percent verbatim the way Stevie Ray Vaughn plays it on his album,” and added, “For his age, he’s pretty fearless.”

This display of musicianship, so uncharacteristic of musicians of this age and level of experience, is commonplace at the Uptown Music Collective, and is in fact expected—as both students and teachers strive always for excellence. The Collective (as it is known) is a 501(c) (3) non-profit school of music dedicated to providing a quality music education and a place for open musical expression to all people. Brumbaugh and his skilled staff of teachers pride themselves on introducing students to a variety of musical styles and traditions, and encourage all students to seek mastery in their study of music.

Says Hunter, “Being a part of the Collective has been more enlightening than anything else. There are things here that expose you to all kinds music that you wouldn’t know otherwise, and certainly couldn’t study anywhere else.” Students learn their instruments through private lessons, workshops, classes, and periodic performances throughout the year, many of which, like the twice-yearly feature performances and regular student recitals, have become irreplaceable parts of the Collective’s curriculum. Says drummer Eddie Cooley, 17, of Montoursville Area High School, who served on the stage crew at the Blues Festival, “The thing I find most appealing about the Collective is that it gets its members out there and presents opportunities for kids to get involved with local acts and local talent.” At the 20th Annual Billtown Blues Festival, the Uptown Music Collective did just that, giving its students the opportunity to perform alongside some of the most respected blues musicians today, as well as giving them the education required to present an impressive and crowd startling show.

Though an astounding and technically impressive performance, the Collective’s show was more than just a dazzling display of notes. It was not pageantry—it was successful for more than just the empty novelty of watching young musicians play on such a grand stage. Its success came in the fact that it was not mere mimicry, not a hollow imitation of blues performed by musicians with no understanding of the music’s significance. Rather, behind each guitar solo, each lyric, and each song was a deep respect for the legacy of the blues, and a heartfelt appreciation for the opportunity presented by this unique performance.

Says guitarist Gabe Stillman, 13, of Curtin Middle School, “It’s all about putting your heart and soul out there when you’re onstage. Dave [Brumbaugh, UMC director] always tells us that the reason why blues players are so legendary and are still celebrated today is that they had such an investment in their music. Anyone can play six notes and three chords all night, but what makes blues musicians such stellar performers is that they put all their passion and emotion into the performance. And so you go away having seen a very simple, basic piece of music, but to you it is the most beautiful and meaningful thing in the world.” With this understanding, and a deep investment in the music they had worked so hard to prepare, the student musicians hit the stage, and for one hour in the electric night of the Billtown Blues Festival, the young students of the Uptown Music Collective transcended their age and experience and became mature musicians lost in the power and passion of the blues.

For more information on the Uptown Music Collective visit www.uptowmusic.org or contact Jared Mondell at jared@uptownmusic.org or (570) 329-0888.

Jonah Walters lives in Lewisburg. Though he did not participate in the Billtown Blues performance, he has been a member of the Uptown Music Collective for 4 years.