LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WAVE) – Organizers of a Louisville music festival are helping college students chase their dreams.
In August of 2024, Waterfront Park became a place for R&B music to touch people’s souls during the first-ever Sky Soul Music Festival. Crowds of people came to hear artists like Grammy Award Winner Anthony Hamilton and the Tones, Keke Wyatt, Sisqo, and Doug E Fresh.
“We love Louisville being the platform for the work we are trying to do because it’s centrally located. We have Indianapolis, Nashville, Cincinnati and Louisville,” Sky Soul Music Festival Organizer Lanona Nelson said.
Nelson is the organizer of the Sky Soul Music Festival. Her goal is to reach more than just the attendees. A portion of ticket sales goes to the Sky Foundation, which is the charitable arm of the festival. Money will be used to provide scholarships. Nelson sees it as a way to combine her passion while investing in someone’s dream.
“I played violin, but I didn’t have the support to keep going,” Nelson said. “That’s where a lot of this is stemming from. I want to make sure I am the support at Sky Foundation for the child in me that didn’t have it.”
Two students from Simmon’s College are the first recipients of the Sky Foundation scholarship. Each was awarded $750.
Nelson says the criteria were simple, students focused on music and the arts, with a 3.0 GPA and a balance on their tuition account.
In addition to the scholarship, Nelson is giving them the chance of a lifetime.
“They will be able to come up and be in person with the artists, the band, and the backstage. We are going to allow them to do that,” Nelson said.
Nelson says this year’s festival is scheduled for the summer. She hopes to provide more scholarships and more opportunities so that the sky isn’t the limit for students in Louisville.
For more information about the Sky Soul Music Festival or the Sky Foundation visit, Skysoulfestival.com.
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