Harriton Band Takes 'Battle of the Burbs'

It was standing-room-only at in Ardmore on Friday night, as the Battle of the Burbs 2012 raged between eight high school musical acts, finalists in a teen music competition co-sponsored by the Youth Advisory Council (YAC) of the Coalition for Youth of Lower Merion and Narberth, Milkboy and Harcum Music School. 

• First place went to "Poor Fred Noonan," a Harriton High School band with a drummer from St. Joe's Prep.
• Second place went to Christina Brennan, a vocalist from Merion Mercy Academy accompanied by Kat Yeo.
• Third place was "The Bad Tequila Experience," with students from Nueva Esperanza Academy and a vocalist from the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts (CAPA).  

"It was an incredible show, with an enthusiastic audience," said Paula Singer, advisor for the Youth Advisory Council (YAC), part of the Coalition for Youth of Lower Merion and Narberth (a "partnership of community agencies, adults and young people working to create a safe and healthy environment for youth, and to reduce drug and alcohol use"). 

Emceeing was Andy Blackman Hurwitz, an entertainment lawyer and founder of Ropeadope and Baby Loves Music record companies, who is working with students at Lower Merion and Harriton to create a high school record label. The judges included Sharon Little, a singer-songwriter on CBS Records; Jamie Lokoff, a Milkboy partner; and Pete Anderson, a recording executive.

YAC is a consortium of 30 students from eight public and private high schools, including Agnes Irwin, Baldwin, Barrack Hebrew Academy, Friends' Central, The Haverford School, Harriton High, Lower Merion High School and The Shipley School.

At the concert, YAC students also raised funds for Girls Rock Philly, a music and mentoring organization dedicatedto empowering girls through music.