Project Jericho, a nationally acclaimed outreach program based at Clark State Community College, will host a FREE concert event called Project Jericho My SONG: SHINE at 5 p.m. on June 5, 2014, in the Kuss Auditorium of the Clark State Performing Arts Center.

Local youth auditioned for the opportunity to write, record and perform original songs in a songwriting intensive with guitar virtuoso and Project Jericho lead artist, Michael Kelsey. In addition to featuring the original music produced during Project Jericho My SONG, this special concert will also feature all of Project Jericho’s performance ensembles: Jericho Voices, Jericho Steel, Bucket Band, Xclusive Dance Crew, Jericho Hip Hop and Jericho Jazz. Following the performance, everyone is invited to an ice cream social outside on the lawn.

"This is the fourth annual Project Jericho My SONG program," said Scott Dawson, concert organizer and faculty coordinator of New Media and Graphic Design at Clark State. “For this My SONG, select youth worked together on group songs so it was fitting to team them with the performance ensembles of Project Jericho. After such a long, gray winter, these Project Jericho ensembles will warm you with their message of hope, courage and perseverance.”

In addition to the concert, there will be a CD released of the original music written during the project sessions. This album will be available for free download from CDBaby.com. Previous Project Jericho My SONG albums are also available for free download, including Project Jericho My SONG, Project Jericho My SONG Hip Hop, Project Jericho My SONG at Keifer, Project Jericho My SONG Live and Project Jericho My SONG Family Edition.

Project Jericho is a collaborative program of the Clark State Performing Arts Center and Job & Family Services of Clark County with additional funding provided by the Ohio Arts Council and The Turner Foundation. Project Jericho provides positive, in-depth arts experiences for local youth and families.

Project Jericho received national acclaim when it was awarded a Coming Up Taller award in 2008 from the White House. Coming Up Taller is an initiative of the President’s Committee on the Arts and the Humanities (PCAH). The President’s Committee partners with the Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) and the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) to administer the program.

This event is sponsored by Clark State Community College, the Clark County Department of Job and Family Services and The Turner Foundation. Admission is FREE.

For more information, contact Project Jericho at 937-328-3869, or go to the Project Jericho website.