Pharlon Randle knows all about the power of words when they’re matched with a good beat. Since the inception of his songwriting and recording program Studio on the Go in 2006, Pharlon and his team have witnessed the impact of his program on thousands of Flint-area youth from elementary age to high school: better retention of academic concepts, improved self-confidence, better public speaking skills and a lot of smiles. All this comes from metered phrases put down on paper by youth during songwriting workshops held at several area schools and youth centers.

Alexandria Bradley was an observant, active child who soaked up all that went on around her like a sponge.

What began last winter as two long-time friends – bassist Johnny Mason and vocalist/guitar player Ashley Peacock – hanging out in Mason’s living room bouncing songwriting ideas off each other quickly took on a life of its own.

Upon hearing Mama Sol, speak, rap, sing or recite her poetry, it takes only a few seconds to understand how passion-driven the Flint artist is. Somehow, she has found time to be a motivational speaker, published author, lyricist, hip-hop standout, teacher, poet, college basketball player, emcee and mother. Even a bout with breast cancer hardly slowed her down. Currently, she is especially focused on delivering her message to youth, and was ecstatic about performing in her home town for Martin Luther King Day ceremonies. Sol, whose latest CD, Inside Out, was released on iTunes last fall, loves the unifying aspect of the holiday event. “You have in the audience young people who know hip-hop, but maybe not much about Martin Luther King and you have older people who might not know much hip-hop, but remember Dr. King. To be part of something that bridges the gap between history and hip-hop is amazing and beneficial to people of all ages.”

The first single from the eclectic performer’s Yung Archetype EP is a poignant work written for a family member who was diagnosed with cancer. “It’s an emotionally-charged, intense ride,” Raymer wrote. “Olaniran works the gaps between hip-hip, R&B, dance music and punk, weaving together aggressive beats, noisy electronics and an intuitive knack for melody into a seamless, pop-friendly whole.”

The song, called “If It Ain’t Broke” from the Flint native’s 2008 debut album, Honky Tonks and Cheap Motels, succinctly sums up how Morgan, who revels in playing that same kind of outlaw country music not heard on today’s country radio stations, feels about what is currently coming out of Nashville. “Nowadays in Nashville … so-called country music singers sing songs they know nothing about,” Morgan declares. “That sure don’t sound like country to me.”

In the week that The Beatles were first introduced to American viewers in February of 1964, I began what was to become an extended relationship with Flint, MI joining the staff of WTAC radio as nighttime DJ.

For Genesee County music lovers seeking the best in rock, metal and outlaw country, The Machine Shop Concert Lounge is the place to be!