As its name suggests, the Springboard West Music Festival aims to catapult emerging talents to the next level of music-making when it comes to town Jan. 11-13, but it is not for the casual player.<\/p>\n
Emerging artists are selected from all over the world to perform at the festival \u2014 not just for San Diegans \u2014 but for industry professionals who have worked with top talents. Plus, with a two-day \u201cBand Bootcamp,\u201d participants also receive guidance from those qualified mentors and get the chance to perform for them.<\/p>\n The Springboard Festivals started in Houston, Texas, in 2012; last year, they ventured into a new frontier with a sister event named Springboard West in San Diego and are returning for three days of fun this month in Ocean Beach.<\/p>\n The festivals\u2019 founder, Barry Coffing, who has written No. 1 hit songs and placed over 200 tracks in movies and television, has a passion for helping artists who are ready to get serious about their music careers.<\/p>\n Starting with 800 submissions from bands hoping to play the festival, Coffing and his team had to narrow it down to their top 40 selections.<\/p>\n Coffing said that originally, they set out to represent all genres equally, but soon realized the entries themselves led them in another direction.<\/p>\n \u201cWe found that our third-best blues artist wasn\u2019t as good as our 20th-best rock artist,\u201d he said. \u201cSo, we quit doing that. We just started saying, \u2018We\u2019re gonna be genre-agnostic.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n As a result, the lineup for this year\u2019s Springboard West is a mixture of talents including those that play indie rock, hard rock, pop, and Americana, along with many singer-songwriter types.<\/p>\n While at the festival on Thursday, Jan. 11, and Friday, Jan. 12, musicians will spend their days attending panels and participating in \u201cMoment of Truth\u201d sessions, which might sound intimidating but are invaluable to burgeoning artists.<\/p>\n Coffing said short performances put the bands in front of people like himself along with other music supervisors and industry professionals, with a chance to perform a minute of a song and get feedback.<\/p>\n \u201cYou think you\u2019ve got a radio single? OK, here we go,\u201d Coffing said of the on-the-spot pressure for these performances. \u201cWe\u2019re not there to be their friends. We\u2019re there to tell them the truth.\u201d<\/p>\n Of course, this festival is not just for those in the industry as the bands also come to play for the San Diego music crowd. Each of the festival dates offer lots to locals who want to discover up-and-coming artists and enjoy supporting local businesses and charities.<\/p>\n Springboard West\u2019s local planning manager, Heather Hudson \u2014 who also owns San Diego\u2019s Revolt Wine Co. \u2014 said her business\u2019 ideals just happened to fall right in line with Springboard\u2019s goals.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is exactly what Revolt stands for,\u201d Hudson said. \u201cRevolting against anything holding you back and going after your dreams. By partnering with Springboard, I\u2019m able to put that mission into action and help make an impact.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cOne of my biggest goals for Springboard this year is to connect, involve and make a positive impact on the local community,\u201d she said. \u201cI wanted to loop in local businesses including beverages, food, artists, fashion and nonprofits.\u201d<\/p>\n Following the two-day \u201cBand Bootcamp\u201d with the participating bands, the public will also get to experience the fruits of Hudson and Coffing\u2019s labors, as they are welcomed to the OB Theatre. There, the festival musicians will take part in unplugged performances, with these ticketed events also featuring an art show, a fashion element and craft beverages \u2013 as Hudson had hoped.<\/p>\n All proceeds from the unplugged show\u2019s $10 ticket price will go to two local nonprofits that work with kids with autism \u2014 The Autism Tree Project Foundation and The Pioneer Foundation.<\/p>\n Hudson will be pouring her Revolt wines \u2014 which will also be available for purchase at these events \u2014 while local craft beer companies Amplified Ale Works, Karl Strauss, Mike Hess Brewing Company and others serve up the suds.<\/p>\n In addition, local artists Thomas Condry, Hannah Kazik, and Jack Stricker will display their work and SAAS Streetwear will also showcase their wares \u2014 all for perusing while the crowds enjoy the bands\u2019 stripped-down sounds. While these local aspects and other types of art come in to play the first two days of the festival, the last is strictly for music lovers.<\/p>\n The festival\u2019s finale \u2014 dubbed the Band and Brew Crawl \u2014 is on Saturday, Jan. 13, and will feature the 40 bands and musicians chosen for Springboard, all performing at four venues around Ocean Beach: Winston\u2019s, OB Theatre, The Harp and Mother\u2019s Saloon.<\/p>\n With unique artisans, craft libations, performances by emerging bands, and the chance to support nonprofits \u2014 Springboard is a win for music fans. And with music industry insiders offering insight to the bands selected to attend, it offers them a priceless stepping stone in their musical journey.<\/p>\n![\"Springboard](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/LH-Backstage-Glitch.jpg\")
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With the bands in place, Hudson was tapped to enhance things with a local flavor.<\/p>\n![\"Springboard](\"https:\/\/sandiegodowntownnews.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/01\/Springboard-sidebar.png\")
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