The Lifted Project: Harnessing Hudson Valley Talent
Lifting Each Other Through the Power of Music
There are few organizations in the area that expose the rich and diverse talent that the Hudson Valley region has to offer. The Lifted Project is one such organization that brings these unknown talents together, and showcases it in a performance each year. The Lifted Project is an initiative that was started by John Burton in 2024, and he's happy to announce the project is back for 2025.
Credit to: John Burton Instagram
This week on In Touch, we spoke with the Director of The Lifted Project, John Burton.
Burton explained to us how the project came to be, and his inspiration for starting it.
"I was at home watching TV, and the "We Are The World" documentary was on. I thought to myself, hey I can do that! I know a ton of musicians, I write songs, I could probably do something like this. What would happen if I took a room and filled it with all this talent we have in the Hudson Valley, and performed an original song? So we did it, and we sold out the Hudson Valley Airport," Burton explained to In Touch.
Untapped Talent
According to The Lifted Project's website, "the Hudson Valley is an anomaly in that there are so many world class musicians located here. Songwriters, vocalists, instrumentalists." The goal of the project is to harness the amazing talents all while bring attention to the non-profits in our area. All funds raised and tickets sold for the concert go right to TLP's non-profit partners. Each year, they plan on selecting new organizations, and growing their non-profit partner base, supporting more and more amazing organizations as the project grows. The goal is to produce an original song and host a concert. A task that isn't an easy undertaking, as John Burton explained.
"I find when I'm writing a song, I have to channel something. I had the original song, and my wife and I thought it wasn't good enough. This was just a week or two before the performance, so then I had to scramble to write a new one! The new song was "Won't Be Broken," Burton explained to In Touch.
Their non-profit partners receive the awareness they deserve, and the public gets to enjoy a concert full of unrecognized talent, and in return, the talent get to show their abilities and show the world what they're made of! The Lifted Project is 100% volunteer and receives no money whatsoever. All donations are made to their non-profit partners directly.
With the performance set for April 6th 2025 at the Center for Performing Arts in Rhinebeck, Burton has selected the non-profits TLP is going to support this year. This year's non-profit partners are:
This year's performance will include a children's chorus, a guitar symphony, a choir, and a special guest performance by YOU! The audience will be able to participate. All songs are originals written by John Burton.
To experience the magic of The Lifted Project, head to their website and get involved. Don't miss this amazing performance, coming to Rhinebeck next month!
Huge thanks to John Burton again for coming on In Touch.
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