Band Factory 2024

Our fourth session of Band Factory was small but mighty! Our bands raised the most per band of any past Band Factory program with an average of over $1600 a piece! We formed five new bands and were humbled by and grateful for their hard work, dedication, and creative fundraising strategies. They raised over $8,000 to help support our 2025 youth Get LOUD Camp, and impressed us all at the big showcase where they performed their original songs. Thank you to all who participated and donated. We can’t do what we do without our supporters!

How it worked:
1. We matched participants with two or three other folks and then introduced them all to each other as new bandmates. Some people signed up with old friends, and everyone else made new ones!
2. Each band had nine weeks to write original songs and learn a cover with the goal of performing a 10-15 minute set. They were mostly on their own, but they had assistance from volunteers and other help along the way! LVGR also lent gear to those who needed it!
3. This program doubled as a fundraiser! Each band had a monetary goal each month. They competed against each other to win cool prizes— a photo shoot, band merch, a special headlining flyer, and time in a recording studio— which were awarded periodically to the band that raised the most money and the band that had the most donors. Together, everyone brought in over $6,445 through online fundraising. Additional funds in ticket and merch sales brought our Band Factory 2024 grand total to over $8,000!

The showcase at the end of the program was the culmination of two months of hard work. It was a huge success made possible by the participants’ bravery and dedication. <3 Congratulations to all of the bands for a fabulous show and a job well done.

Special thanks to our grand prize winners, Marys and the Magdalene and Hello, Operator?, who raised the most dollars per person and secured the most donors per person respectively. They both won recording time donated by Shards Recording Studio in Bethlehem for one song!