Young Juneau musicians got a chance to bring down the house over the weekend at a dual fundraiser for the Juneau Soccer Club and a music program that groups kids who want to play in rock bands.
Kids rock out to the Flaming Fjords, a band made up of students with Nagoonberries Music, on May 9, 2026. Young Juneau musicians got a chance to bring down the house over the weekend at a dual fundraiser for the Juneau Soccer Club and a music program that groups kids who want to play in rock bands.
At 6 p.m. on Saturday night, a crowd full of kids and their parents jammed out to the Flaming Fjords at the Juneau Arts and Culture Center. The band — made up mostly of middle schoolers — played a cover of the Capital Cities’ 2011 hit, “Safe and Sound. ”“It was really exhilarating,” she said.
“I feel like eventually I just started fading into, like, with the light, like I just got into the groove of it. ” She’s been a part of Nagoonberries since the fall. It’s a local music education organization that forms bands for kids and adults alike to practice and play together.
“After a while,once you got a song memorized, you didn’t have to practice too much,” McFerran said. “But I practiced a lot like in the last few days. ” Rock and soccer mom Nikki Bass started this fundraiser — Rock n’ Goal — last year. In the hallway between sets, she said soccer and rock music may seem different, but they actually overlap.
Bass said the first year, grownups were surprised at their kids’ shredding skills.
“The crowd was just so blown away by the talent,” she said. “At first you think, ‘Okay, kids in a rock band, this is gonna be awesome. It’ll be cute. ’ But no, they’re so good.
They’re all just so good. ”Frontwoman Ilannie Hope Mateo has been playing guitar for more than half of her life. Downrigger is a band made up of students with Nagoonberries Music. Frontwoman Ilannie Hope Mateo singings Crazy Train on May 9, 2026.
“I love this program. I mean, they encourage everyone to come play rock music,” she said.
“They encourage really young kids or teenagers like me, or just adults. And they always, like, gather people together and everyone gets to hear them. ” She plans to keep playing music and performing on stages in Juneau, because it’s fun, but also because she wants to show other young people what they are capable of.
“I think that it gives them a bit more confidence that they can go on stage, especially, like, if you’re a teenager, like, ‘Oh, I want to go on stage, but I’m a little scared to’ — seeing other teenagers do it, and just feel a little bit more confident about themselves,” Mateo said. “At least that’s what I want for other people to feel when I’m on stage, is that I can give them confidence as well.
” And with the confidence she’s found in the program, Mateo also writes and performs her own songs like “The Angel,” which she performed with Downrigger Saturday.
Juneau JACC Juneau Arts And Culture Center Nagoonberries Rock And Goal Youth Bands
United States Latest News, United States Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Zohran Mamdani rubs elbows with Spike Lee to cheer on English soccer team in NYCToday's Video Headlines: 05/10/26
Read more »
World Cup experience: Mamdani admin closing off streets outside 50 NYC schools for 'SoccerIn the lead-up to the FIFA World Cup final this June, Mayor Zohran Mamdani's administration is closing blocks outside of 50 schools to vehicle traffic at
Read more »
Juneau police arrest suspect accused of attacking multiple people in Mendenhall ValleyPolice are actively investigating both assaults, and believe they are connected. The department has increased police presence in the area where the attacks took place and is seeking information from other residents and possible witnesses.
Read more »
Practice Rounds Set the Stage for 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf ClubPractice rounds begin Monday, May 11, 2026, ahead of the 2026 PGA Championship at Aronimink Golf Club in Newtown Square.
Read more »