Amplify 817 expands local music catalog

April 27,2020

There’s more Fort Worth music to love on Amplify817.org now that four new artists are part of the local-only online collection that is available for listeners to enjoy for free.

Summer Dean, Ronnie Heart, Nice Major and Jakob Robertson are the new featured artists on the platform. They join Jack Barksdale, Lou CharLe$, Rachel Gollay and Taylor Pace.

“We are thrilled to add four more unique artists to Amplify 817,” said Library Director Manya Shorr. “All eight musicians bring a lot of talent and are already creating a diverse collection of Fort Worth music.”

Designed to showcase and promote the artists who are creating the sounds of our city, Amplify 817 offers artists an upfront payment to feature their music for three years. For the community, Amplify 817 offers a single place to discover and experience a variety of Fort Worth musicians. Anyone can listen to the music for free, but Fort Worth Public Library cardholders can also download songs to their personal devices.

The four new recordings were sponsored by Visit Fort Worth and the music association Hear Fort Worth to spotlight emerging talent. They were recorded at Niles City Sound, the studio in the Near Southside where Leon Bridges’ first two albums were made.

The project is a partnership between the Fort Worth Public Library and Hear Fort Worth, with support from the Fort Worth Public Library Foundation.

“Local music adds to the culture and vitality of our city. We want to cultivate more of that,” said Tom Martens, the Visit Fort Worth creative director who works with Hear Fort Worth. “Music is also important to our local economy, with a historical economic impact of $742 million per year and supporting 7,311 jobs.”

Amplify 817 is currently seeking four to five Fort Worth music experts to serve on the jury. Individuals interested in participating in the jury should visit Amplify817.org. Jury members will review submissions this summer from local artists to be included in the program.