Voices of Columbia 2023

We had such an amazing time at Voices of Columbia 2023!  We raised $74,000 which will make such a huge difference in giving children in foster care the powerful advocacy they need!  We had so much fun and cannot wait to do it again next year.  Thank you to all our generous sponsors and partners!

Photos provided by Jet Streak Photography:

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Video provided by Cosmic Sauce:

Voices of Columbia 2023 Performers

Pat Kay

Missouri native Pat Kay (of The Kay Brothers + MK Ultra) salutes the music traditional to the Ozarks; where Old-Time Fiddle music received a quick flash fry of foot stompin’ Country Blues as it made its way across the Mississippi River. The songs are a collection of stories, ancient in verse, timeless in meaning, and delivered with reverence... This forgotten music, that once filled the barns of our ancestors, was bred to uplift from the tangle of struggles in a bygone era. Whether with a band or without, Kay plays clawhammer banjo & guitar with his hands, bass drum & tambourines with his feet, vocals & harmonica with his face, and enjoys sharing tall tales in between.

J. ARTiz

Josh Runnels, creatively known as J.ARTiz, is a Chicago native who is a vocalist, writer, band leader, community organizer plus more. Self-expression through harmonic vocals, rap and spoken word poetry are the main mediums in which he learned to tell his own story. J resides in both Chicago and Columbia, MO contracting with youth & art related programs while also recording, performing live music along with other art collaborations. J. performs multi-facedly from one man, up to 12 people on festival stages blending genres while using versatility in rhyme, poetry, and soul vocalism. Former male vocalist of "FutureSoul" band, "Loose Loose", and founder of "MO' Soul Collective", J seeks to continue inspiring a larger movement of cultural art, black liberation, higher consciousness and Afrofuturistic inspiration amongst the population of youth/ young adult communities and beyond.

Forrest McCurren

Forrest McCurren comes from the heart of the heartland, where the foothills of the Ozarks meet the Big Muddy: The Middle-of-Missouri. Blazing his own trail while stylistically tipping his hat to the songwriting giants of the past, McCurren wields the magic of lyricism to cast a light on the many intricacies of everyday life set against vignettes of Middle America. Tackling topics such as: wise words from waitresses, heartbroken high school football standouts, and tattooed trailer park lovers, McCurren writes songs for good people that got bad grades in school, are drunk on dreams, and still trying to figure out if life is sour or sweet.

Emcee

Ian Franz

Ian Franz works at Veteran’s United with the Culture team and loves people. He also loves whistling, playing games, and always has time for a good joke.

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