For the second consecutive year, Yelm residents listened to local musicians perform at the Yelm Music Festival. The event drew several hundred people throughout the day to enjoy Yelm’s musicians.
Jeremy Sendall, with Good Vibes Entertainment, said this was the first year that Yelm Music Festival has been run under his nonprofit’s banner. The event, hosted at Yelm City Park, aimed to give young and aspiring artists a platform to get their names out there to the community.
“What we founded it for was to actually start up a school or an academy of music, hoping through these events [and] grants that we could build enough capital to actually get a school for kids that can’t afford the music or entertainment industry,” Sendall said. “We want to be able to do that for every aspect of the music industry. That’s our goal here at the Yelm Music Festival with Good Vibes Entertainment. The talent show was a small reflection of our big picture.”
He added that the music academy or school would be available for children 6 years old to young adults.
“We love our town. We’d really like to help it shine and help other people shine through Good Vibes Entertainment,” Sendall said. “We do need good grant writers. That’s something we really need. We also need community support and community help.”
The event featured a talent show for participants 6 to 17, as well as performances by older and more experienced musicians. While performers were singing or playing their instruments, families also enjoyed many other activities throughout Yelm City Park.
“It’s wonderful to see so many people out here, and I’m sure there’s more to come. It’s great to see the community together and doing things,” Sendall said. “I think we need more of that. I think we need to do more as a community. I’m hoping that Good Vibes Entertainment can help do that.”
Yelm Music Festival’s talent show featured a field of Ivy Stratler, Nevaeh Smith, Gabe Schelcht, Amy Lavanel, Hayden Wood, Daniel Storey, Oliver Brooks, Caleb Putra and the Metal Angels.
Putra, who placed third, played his guitar and sang. Metal Angels, a band of young performers that sang and played a heavy metal song, placed second.
Smith, a 17-year-old Yelm resident, won the talent show.
“I basically rewrote Morgan Wallen’s ‘Wasted on You’ to ‘Red, White and Blue’ to symbolize patriotism and the freedom we have in America,” Smith said.
“The event has been a lot of fun,” she added. “There’s a lot of room for so many people, and all the kids are having so much fun. Everyone is so nice here. Even those who didn’t win the competition came up and were so nice. It’s a small town with really good people.”
Aside from bragging rights, Smith’s first-place finish earned her a trophy and a karaoke machine.
“I’ve been involved in music for as long as I can remember,” Smith said. “I’ve always been singing. I’m a multi-instrumentalist. I’m self-taught in about seven different instruments. It’s been a hobby of mine, but I’ve never really performed in front of people. This was my first public performance. It feels so good. I feel so blessed. I prayed for this. I prayed for the results, and God is so good to me. He blessed me with my talents, and so I want to glorify Him.”
Smith said she hopes to be a famous singer someday and wants to make “really cool” music that promotes positive messages.
She described the Yelm Music Festival as the confidence boost she needed to begin publicly chasing her dreams.
Following Smith’s performance, older local musicians performed.
The performance pool included Teresa Martin, John O’Dell, Richard Houghton, Kyle Thompson, Dark Kibler, The Angel and The Outlaw, Tiffany Lucas, Elijah King Scooby, Danni Johnson, Videl, Kyle & Darin Band, Ken Strayer, Trent Beilman and Taylor Watts.
Afterward, Sendall thanked the event’s marketing sponsor, DZines All Day, for its contributions and help with the event. He also thanked sponsors Pizza Hut, Fun Time Toys and Gifts and the City of Yelm for sponsoring the event.
Good Vibes Entertainment can be contacted at info@yelmmusicfest.com.
