Pastor McCathern of Joy Tabernacle (from bottom right), Bryan Leach (middle), and Paster Daren C. Jaime of People's AME Church (left) pose with several local showcase talents after the renaming and rededication of the V2xV studio. Alexandria Brown | Flintside
Bryan Leach, CEO of Polo Grounds answers industry questions from local artists in the V2xV music studio after the meet and greet. Alexandria Brown | Flintside
After his showcase performace, Jon Connor, Flint native rapper and producer, was presented with a V2xV studio recognition plaque for his musical contributions on behalf of the Flint community. Alexandria Brown | Flintside
Good friends Nini, Isabella, and Jalayaah (right to left)pose for the camera amidst V2xV studio showcase festivities. Alexandria Brown | Flintside
Taliyah Jackson, 18 performing her original song "Back Then" during the V2xV showcase. Alexandria Brown | Flintside
Local performer The Artist descends from the stage during the V2xV showcase for his rap ballad. Alexandria Brown | Flintside
Regina J. Garland, 15, performs the Alicia Keys classic, 'If I Ain't Got You' during the V2xV showcase. Alexandria Brown | Flintside
Fourth local R&B artist Curtis Green performs his latest single "Call It What You Want" during the V2xV showcase concert. Alexandria Brown | Flintside
Pharlon Randle, CEO of Bangtown Productions & Recordings, gives an open invitation to parents to sign their children up for the V2xV bootcamp set to begin June 20. Alexandria Brown | Flintside
Boxing champ Claressa Shields announces her next fight will be in Flint during the grand opening celebration. Alexandria Brown | Flintside
Residents and local showcase performers pack into rows of chairs and couches just after the food giveaway at Joy Tabernacle to hear words from Bryan Leach. Alexandria Brown | Flintside
Prior to the V2xV grand opening, volunteers distributed food to neighborhood residents. Alexandria Brown | Flintside
Bryan Leach, CEO of Polo Grounds speaks on his journey within the music industry during the meet and greet for the V2xV studio grand opening at Joy Tabernacle Church. Alexandria Brown | Flintside
Pastor Daren C. Jaime of The People's A.M.E. Church tells of his connection to Flint and his shared Harlem beginnings with music mogul Bryan Leach during the V2xV studio meet and greet at Joy Tabernacle. Alexandria Brown | Flintside
FLINT, Michigan — Bryan Leach’s vision is for the Flint’s Civic Park neighborhood to be home to a thriving music industry equipped with artists, music attorneys, technical experts that are leaders on the national scene.
Leach also pledged during the grand opening of V2xV inside Joy Tabernacle Church to return to Flint to help make it happen.
”I hope it does for some kids what music did for me...When I was doing music I felt happy, I felt safe, I felt creative, I felt that was when i could dream about things and remove myself from the reality of what life does and that’s what I hope it does for some of these kids,” said Leach. “Whether they’re going to become musicians or successful, that’s not everything. Sometimes it's just a safe haven where people can just dream and just be creative.”
Leach is CEO of Polo Grounds and was honored Saturday, June 8, as the namesake for the Bryan Leach Recording Studio inside V2xV, a state of the art studio operated by the Urban Renaissance Center inside Joy Tabernacle. He is credited with discovering major talents such as Lil Jon, A$AP Rocky, A$AP Ferg, Yo Gotti, and Pitbull.
The studio grand opening also included a showcase of Flint’s local talents. A total of 13 local artists performed a variety of talents including rap, spoken word, gospel, and R&B. Pastor Robert McCathern of Joy Tabernacle Church also awarded members of the Dayton Family and native rapper Jon Connor with Voiceless to Voice studio awards for their musical contributions and representations of Flint locally and beyond.
Pharlon Randel, CEO of Bangtown Productions & Recordings and Founder of Studio on the Go Program, gave a mass invitation for resident attendees to sign their children up for the studio summer boot camp set to start June 20th at Joy Tabernacle. The camp will run for eight weeks on Thursdays and Fridays from 4 pm to 6 pm. To sign up or for more information contact Pharlon Randle by phone at 810-964BANG(2264) or by email at bangtown@yahoo.com
The day’s celebrations also included a food giveaway with national volunteers from People’s Church AME of Syracuse, New York, and the Light House Movement LLC based in New York City.
Pastor Robert McCathern closed the showcase performance concert with a prayer and final statements saying, “Thank you Flint for being Flint. The best is yet to come.”
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