PREVIEW: Youth Music Showcase Comes to Averill Park
3/07 @ Sand Lake Center For the Arts
**This article originally appeared in our March 2026 issue**
“I think it’s important for youth to be able to feel that what they’re working on is recognized, important, and validated.”
Returning for its second year, the Youth Music Showcase is the product of a synergistic collaboration between two Averill Park-based organizations — AP Live, a product of two musician best friends and known for its annual Music & Arts Festival, and the Sand Lake Center for the Arts, a pillar for bringing art to life in the community.
Slated for Saturday, March 7, at 7:30 p.m., the showcase is a gathering of young, local musicians looking to share their talents with the greater community. The event aims to foster an environment for community members to engage with the next generation of musicians in the area.
“I think it’s important for youth to be able to feel that what they’re working on is recognized, important, and validated,” says Susanne Keller, the director of development and special events at SLCA.
As a musician himself, Wolfgang Balga, co-founder of AP Live, sees the value in leaning into artistic endeavors to grow as a person. He believes creative problem-solving can help students in school and allow them to think on their feet, especially when they are planted on a stage in front of hundreds of staring eyes.
“Having a creative outlet, like music, stage performance, or even just art in any sense, I think is really important, especially when you’re young,” Balga says.
For the AP Live group, it’s all hands on deck for the Youth Music Showcase. They help set up and break down the stage, and volunteers assist in selling concessions as well. Tickets to attend are $10, and proceeds are split three ways. One third goes to AP Live, to SLCA, and the final chunk to the Averill Park Education Foundation, which then is turned over to the Averill Park High School Music Department. This was an important decision for the AP Live crew because, for one, Balga says he wouldn’t be a musician today if it weren’t for the time he spent in the high school jazz band.
“We want to make sure that these kids can perform knowing that what they’re doing is giving back to their opportunities in school to play music,” Balga says.
The partnership between AP Live and SLCA, which sport similar goals, seemed meant to be when it came to crafting a youth-focused event.
“Part of our mission is to promote the youth in the area, and literally give them a stage for what they're doing, whether it be art or music or theater. We’re very proud of being able to offer Wolfgang and AP Live the space to do that,” Keller says.
The first year of the Youth Music Showcase was a hit. Young musicians of all ages brought a myriad of talent to the stage. Audience members were able to enjoy everything from singer-songwriter acoustic performances, to punk rock, and even a more traditional ‘90s alternative band with classic Radiohead hits. Over 100 people were in attendance, and the Averill Park High School Music Department was able to buy a new drumset with the proceeds they were gifted from the Showcase.
The benefits of the event went beyond just a monetary impact. Friends and family members of the performers were given the opportunity to see their talented loved ones shine in a new light.
“What a thrill to see their kids or their friends perform on stage in a proper theater with professional sound and lights,” Keller says.
Realizing they can put themselves in the spotlight and receive support from hundreds of people in an audience offers a big confidence boost for these adolescents, something that can be in short supply during those years of life. In last year’s case, this likely helped push the performers to make real-life connections with other kids who share a similar passion.
“What was really nice afterwards was seeing some of these kids get shows together and play other places, and hear that two of them had met there and were playing a show together in a couple months,” Balga says.
This sense of community is exactly what the Youth Music Showcase aims to create, bridging the gap between community members and the talented youth of tomorrow.
Tickets for the Youth Music Showcase at the Sand Lake Center for the Arts can be purchased online at slca-ctp.org.
