Arts Alive San Antonio

San Antonio has its fair share of music festivals but the one coming up in October is different.
Called RISE MUSIC FESTIVAL and sponsored by the RISE Movement, this fest combines good music with a Christian message. The fest is guided by artistic director, Jarrell Flowers who says his parents have always been “followers of Jesus.” He grew up in that environment but also developed a love of hip-hop.
“I didn’t even know that you could do hip-hop even as a Christan,” said Flowers.

At 17, he had a car accident that destroyed his car. “I believe that God used that accident to force me to ask myself if I, too, was a follower of Christ,” he said in a recent interview. “I was going to church and doing what everybody else was doing, but I wasn’t following Jesus; I was following my desires. I dreamed of playing hip-hop. After the accident I ended up going to Bible school for a couple of years.”

When he returned, he became more serious about his music, “putting it out there” whenever he could.
He started off with a hip-hop group, but later decided to go solo. IN fact, he has toured all over the country, he says. Today, he is the executive director of an organization called The Rise Movement, which helps creatives – singers, musicians and others find opportunities to perform. “We want to help our local artists and talent here, and the city of San Antonio is cooperative about that,” he noted.

That led to starting a new festival with the approval from the city. “We think, it’s going to be good for San Antonio,” he said. The fest’s headliner band is the Seattle-based group, Kings Kaleidoscope, a ten-member band that features a range of instruments, including strings, woodwind and brass instruments. The lead singer will be Chad Gardner, whose voice is described as “soulful.” Also performing will be local bands, including Rap Society and the RISE Worship Collective. Emerging artists across genres, from indie rock to hip-hop. “The festival, he adds, “is about the celebration of music’s power to unite and inspire creativity.”

Visual artists will also play a role by creating art installations on the fest’s premises. More artists will likely be added to the program

At this point, he and other organizers are encouraging “prayer warriors” to cover the RISE Music Festival. Other volunteers are welcome as well.
—————————————————————————————————————
The Inaugural RISE Music Festival; October 12, 2024; 4-5:30 p.m. at the Espee in St. Paul Square, tickets go on sale June 21, $35-$75 at (https://www.theespee.com/events/rise-music/)