Image via 88Nine Radio Milwaukee
On Tuesday morning, 88Nine Radio Milwaukee announced the first four recipients of $10,000 grants as part of their new 88Nine Amplifier program. Local artists Valerie Lighthart, Maxwell James, The Oshi, and Elder Mac were selected by a panel that included Justin Vernon of Bon Iver, legendary producer Butch Vig, and recording artist and engineer Ms. Lago.
The artists bring a variety of different sounds to Milwaukee. Lighthart is pure pop, with her single “Love and Money” featuring Solana making waves last year. The Oshi recently released her bold Confidential project earlier this year, elevating her status in the local hip hop scene. Elder Mac is a gospel act with previous acclaim including a 2020 Trailblazer of Gospel recognition by recording industry mainstay BMI. James is a previous winner of the Guitar for Gifts songwriting competition from Jack White’s Third Man Records.
In addition to the grants, the artists will receive eight months of mentorship from the judges, as well as a regular curriculum designed to help artists navigate the ins and outs of the music industry. The program is being headed up locally by Grammy-nominated producer Chad Roper, and Brittney Freeman-Farr, better known as B~Free in the local music community.
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“Milwaukee has so much untapped talent,” Program Director Chad Roper said via statement. “Through the selection process, it was exciting to see the incredible passion and drive from these four artists, and we cannot wait until the world sees what this class has to offer.”
Over 200 artists submitted work for the initial round of the 88Nine Amplifier program. Classes for the announced artists will run through November 2021, and information about the next round of applications will be available on the 88Nine Amplifier website in the coming months.
