Philly schools ‘Mic’d Up’ program reaches new heights

The School District Of Philadelphia’s Mic’d Up Program is celebrating its second anniversary, and is giving local aspiring musicians a chance to take their career to the next level.

The Mic’d (Music Industry Classrooms) program is now providing students with paid mentoring opportunities at JG Skyhigh, where they can perform live at the top level of the Philadelphia Four Seasons Hotel.

The collaborative effort joined by Four Seasons Hotel Philadelphia, JG SkyHigh, and their partner BELLOSOUND, has benefited and inspired many inner-city youth members with the opportunity to publicly perform and envision themselves around a musical career.

Frank Machos, executive director for the School District of Philadelphia’s Office of the Arts & Creative Learning says a big part of his responsibility is to not only manage a portfolio of partners but to also modernize arts education so that it reflects Philly students and prepares them for future careers in the space.

“We want to make sure that we’re not only engaging them with the music that they love but preparing students across the creative industries,” said Machos. “Providing them the opportunity to learn about the careers across the board, get access and exposure to it, and connect them to the scenes.”

Machos, a University of The Arts alumni, started in the school district in 2004.

Over nearly two decades, Machos developed relationships with fellow Philly native musicians who went on to accomplish great things in the industry.

“As an educator, I saw very quickly the talent my students had — all in the midst of a very traditional landscape of music education,” added Machos. “Philly has always had strong orchestra programs, choirs, marching bands, drumlines, and other large ensembles. What was really still a need was to build more contemporary industry-aligned programs.”

Through this vision, Machos later integrated a plan, after organizing the school district’s local partnerships, to focus more in-depth on a program that’s geared towards industry-aligned experience for students, which soon birthed Mic’d Up.

One of those mentoring resources onboard with Mic’d Up is award-winning pianist and organist Luke Carlos O’Reilly.

“One of the reasons I most enjoy this program is because it’s not really set up the way most programs are. Some programs have a mentorship factor, but they don’t have a JG (Skyhigh) side where we have this great gig for you as well,” said O’Reilly. “You need to be able to take what you’re learning in the classroom, and you got to be able to take it to the real world or into a live setting.”

O’Reilly adds that the program is set up immediately, which allows students to quickly transition from being mentored to having a paid gig opportunity to perform live at the top level of the Philadelphia Four Seasons Hotel around many different spectators.

In the past, attendees included guests such as former Sixers head coach Doc Rivers, recording artist Sting, and many more.

It’s a great “throw into the fire” opportunity for the students, O’Reilly says.

One of the program’s success stories includes Christian Harrison, aka ‘DJ Blacx Rose,’ a 2021 Hill Freedman World Academy alum.

The former Mic’d Up mentee, who just finished his second year at Berklee College of Music, is active in the Philly music scene and has collaborated with many music professionals across multiple genres.

Since middle school, Harrison has been active in school drumlines and various local events, where he developed an early relationship with both Machos and O’Reilly.

‘Being around Frank and Luke has formulated a pattern of thought for me. How I go about things and different gigs,” stated Harrison. “It really gave me the opportunity to refine some of my DJ skills since I’m a drummer, and I’ve never really got the chance to DJ.”

Harrison, who has worked with artists from Boston down to Miami, says he’s grateful to have had the opportunity to work on his craft and learn how to control an audience as his current school’s official DJ for events at Berklee College.

“The program gave me a step ahead in being able to do what I wanted to do as a career but earlier. I do music full-time because of them,” he added. “And I don’t think without this program, that’s what I would be doing.”

Despite many notable Philadelphia musicians being on the road, the Mic’d Up program, among its growing network, has intrigued a way to be that one-stop hub for musicians when in town and want to give back.

You can catch mentee groups in live action when the program is in session Monday evenings at JG Skyhigh.