What is Grace Weber’s Music Lab?
The Music Lab is a FREE monthly music and arts education program for greater Milwaukee area high school students, presented by HYFIN, a Radio Milwaukee station. At The Music Lab, students have the opportunity to learn about the music and entertainment industries through featured guests. They are also given the opportunity to collaborate, perform, and build relationships with their peers.
When does the Music Lab take place?
The Music Lab takes place the last Friday of every month during the school year from 5-7pm.
Where does the Music Lab Happen?
Radio Milwaukee hosts each Music Lab at our Walker’s Point studios at 220 E. Pittsburgh Avenue, Milwaukee, WI 53204. As of May 2022, Music Lab events are also offered in a hybrid format, where viewers can stream each session virtually on Grace Weber’s Music Lab’s Facebook page.
What does the Music Lab Look like?
In-person Music Labs start with a student social hour at 4pm in the Radio Milwaukee Lobby. Here, we feature free food, a live DJ and a chance for students to connect with each other. After this, we kick off the Lab portion with a performance and interview with our featured guest, as well as a question and answer period with student inquiries. We then move into our Open Mic portion for student performers with constructive feedback and observations from our feature. Finally, we end with a workshop or performance with our featured guest, based on their artistic preferences and how they want to engage with our students.
Why do we do the Music Lab?
We believe that collaboration through music and the arts is critical to bridging the divides in Milwaukee communities. We hope that new friendships, collaborations — and maybe even Milwaukee’s next big musical force — will form out of the Music Lab. We want to give young people a space to create, be heard, and feel valued!
CO-FOUNDER: GRACE WEBER
Grammy Award winning singer, Grace Weber, grew up singing in central Youth Gospel Choir of Milwaukee before gaining widespread recognition for her performance on The Oprah Winfrey Show and her collaborations with Chance the Rapper, Francis and the Lights, Boogie, and more. She released More Than Friends, which went viral, reaching 11 and 18 on each of Spotify’s US and Global viral charts for a four week stay after being so-singed by John Mayer. Grace has toured with Chance the Rapper, Thirdstory, and will be touring with PJ Morton.
Grace’s new project is produced by Nate Fox, Nico Segal (formerly known as Donnie Trumpet), and Peter Cottontale of the Social Experiment as well as Garren Langford — all of whom were producers on Chance the Rapper’s Coloring Book. Grace co-wrote and sang with Chance the Rapper and Kanye West on “All We Got,” the first track on Chance the Rapper’s critically acclaimed Grammy Award winning Coloring Book. Grace also co-produced and is featured on “Still Thirsty” and “Prideful” on Compton rapper Boogie’s well received mixtape Thirst 48 Part II. She is featured on Towkio’s “2 Da Moon" and at the end of Francis Starlite’s “May I have This Dance.”
For more information about Grace Weber, please visit www.graceweber.com.
MUSIC LAB COORDINATOR: B~FREE
Singer, producer & multi-instrumentalist B~FREE, is a Milwaukee native who has dedicated her life to music. Her training in jazz & classical flute, voice & piano has earned her degrees in musical studies from the Milwaukee High-School of the Arts, Lincoln University of Pennsylvania & VanderCook College of Music. Along with an artistic career of nearly two decades, she also serves as the Music Ed Coordinator for Radio Milwaukee’s Youth Program, “Grace Weber’s Music Lab.”
B~Free’s self-produced sophomore album, “Ode 2 A Luv Affair LP,'' was met with much acclaim; including being hailed by the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel as the “Number One Album of 2016” & by The Shepherd Express as an "immaculately constructed R&B record." In the span of her career, she has shared stages with a host of prominent artists, & served as direct opening support for Janelle Monae’s 2018 Milwaukee tour stop. Her curated online social media content has also received praise from the likes of Brandy, Missy Elliott & Lizzo.
She continues to release new music, with her latest being the spring 2021 self-produced House single, “Hate 2 Luv” feat. Durand Bernarr, & the nostalgic, summer 2021 bop, “This Could Be Us.”
For more information about B~Free, please visit www.bfree2music.com.