FIM’s Summer Stars Series Provides Young Musicians With Vital Stage Time During the Summer

Ultraviolet 5, or UV5, is not the first all-girl rock band, but they might be among the youngest – members of the group range from ages 9-14, and they started playing together in 2023. Don’t their youth fool you, though: the group’s mix of powerful vocals and talent on their instruments results in distinctive covers of rock hits from people like The Cranberries, Ozzy Osborne, and Guns ‘N Roses that has already made them local crowd favorites.

Kat Sheppard, a bassist in the group, said that the unique ability to provide shared reactions and community among strangers in a crowd is a big part of what draws her to music.

“Music from my personal experience is something that can bring everyone together and make people laugh and just make people happy in general,” Sheppard said. “That’s what music has done for me in my life.”

Sheppard and UV5 are among the young performers who are showcasing their talents as part of the Flint Institute of Music’s Summer Stars series, which is part of the organization’s Music Around Town program. Music Around Town features musicians from the Flint Symphony Orchestra, Flint School of Performing Arts, and Flint Repertory Theatre alongside other performers at a variety of settings in the community. Summer Stars features younger musicians in some of those settings – Aiesha Lewis, community programs coordinator for the FIM, said that performers in this year’s three Summer Stars performances range in age from 9 to 18.

The first performance of the summer occurred at Market Tap in the Flint Farmers’ Market in June and featured different cultural styles of singing and dance. A group of Flint School of Performing Arts students that includes vocalists and a clarinet duo is performing at 6 p.m. on July 16 at Blackstone’s Smokehouse (note: this performance was originally scheduled for the patio at On the Bricks, but was moved to an indoor space due to unsafe air quality conditions). UV-5 will perform at Market Tap at 6 p.m. on August 13.

Part of the inspiration behind the program is to simply get young musicians stage time performing in front of live audiences.

“It really gives students that are in Flint and Genesee County that have been performing throughout the school year a chance to perform for their full community and get a real professional experience,” Lewis said. “I think in those moments they realize what they can do. They see their peers, they see the audience, and it’s really that pivotal a-ha moment. We’re so grateful to spaces like On the Bricks and Market Tap (and Blackstone’s) that give us those spaces where they can perform.”

Sheppard agrees that the program is a valuable way to help younger musicians starting to visualize what a professional career in music or as a performer might look like.

“It’s really important,” Sheppard said. “Myself as a young performer in a band, it’s really important to have a chance to show off our talent as well as just start to see if music is our passion or if it’s something that you want to do as a career. It just gives you an example of what that’s going to be like and what audiences you’re going to be around, and stage presence, and it just helps build confidence on stage. It’s like a sense of belonging, it helps young artists see their possible future.”

Lewis notes that programs and opportunities like this for young people in Genesee County are available in part because of the Genesee County Arts Education and Cultural Enrichment Millage, which was initially approved by voters in 2018 and is up for renewal on the August 4 primary ballot. The Charles Stewart Mott Foundation also provides funding for Music Around Town.

“My very favorite part is really just seeing the talent that our youth have to offer,” Lewis said. “They’re so powerful in their talents and in their performances. It really is empowering in a way that’s almost undescribable, seeing them go up there and be so courageous to perform in front of so many people that they don’t know.”

For Sheppard, it just provides another opportunity for the band to share something they love with new people. More information about UV-5 is available on their Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube pages.

“I’m mostly looking forward to just seeing the community and everyone come together, and just knowing that my band is making other people happy just by doing our passion that we love,” Sheppard said. “I just like to show that we’re still very young, but we are doing this because it’s our passion.”