Student bands land big gigs and a shot at one of summer’s hottest tickets
May 26, 2026 | By Lisa ScagliottiHarwood school district student musicians are rehearsing for multiple upcoming performances on Burlington stages over the next two weeks, and some even have a shot at playing one of the summer’s hottest Vermont concert dates.
Harwood students Tarin Askey and Eireann McDonough perform in The Glam Cowboys at Battle of the Bands in November 2025. The student band is in the running to perform at the Do Good Fest in Montpelier in July. Photo by Gordon Miller
This Friday, three Harwood Union Middle/High School bands are on the bill at Higher Ground in South Burlington for the Sonic Futures Student Showcase concert at 7 p.m. The show features a total of seven acts, chosen last fall through an all-day festival and competition held at Harwood.
Now through next Monday, June 1, voting is open for the public to choose the student act that will kick off this summer’s Do Good Fest concert at National Life in Montpelier on July 11. The Glam Cowboys, a band made up entirely of Harwood members, is one of the 10 contenders. Also in the running is Central Vermont student band MINC, which includes two Harwood musicians. The winner will open the popular summer daylong festival as a fundraiser, this year benefitting youth mental health organizations.
And next week at the 2026 Burlington Discover Jazz Festival, student bands from Harwood Union Middle/High School and Crossett Brook Middle School will be among some 44 ensembles from 36 Vermont schools performing free concerts on Church Street.
More about each below.
Beats for Good voting is on
For the fifth year, the folks at National Life Group have added a competition among youth bands for a shot at kicking off the Do Good Fest in July. The annual daylong festival features a number of popular bands playing to a crowd of thousands on the hillside at the company’s headquarters in Montpelier. Each year, the event supports a different charitable cause. This year’s headliner bands
are Neon Trees, Toad the Wet Sprocket, Smash Mouth and Augustana.
High school student musicians from Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire and the Plattsburgh region of New York are invited to enter the contest to be an opening act. Festival judges choose 10 finalists, post videos of each one, and invite the public to vote online to choose the winner.
The Glam Cowboys. Photo by Gordon Miller
Voting opened Monday and runs through June 1. In addition to playing the Do Good stage, the winning group receives a $5,000 donation to their school’s music program and a $1,500 personal cash prize to the band. The first runner-up will receive a $2,500 donation to their school’s music program, and the second runner-up will receive a $1,000 donation.
The online voting form and videos of all of the contenders are on the Do Good Fest website under the Beats for Good heading.
On the list is The Glam Cowboys, comprised of Harwood juniors Eireann
McDonough on lead vocals, Tarin Askew on guitar and vocals, Cora Potts on drums, Cali Neville on bass, and Eliza Whitehair on keys. Formed in 2024, the band has performed beyond the Harwood stage at venues including Zenbarn, Morefest, Mad River Valley Television’s In-Studio Live music series. They perform this Friday at Higher Ground (see below). Their Beats for Good entry is an original song, “Masquerade.”
Also on the ballot is the band MINC, made up of student musicians from seven Vermont high schools, including Harwood musicians Acer Thompson on keys and Grayson Eley on drums.
See all of the student performers’ videos and cast a vote for the July 11 contest online at dogoodfest.com/beatsforgood by midnight on June 1. Here are all of the acts on the ballot. Schools are in Vermont, unless noted otherwise.
Blake Matteson from Franklin West Supervisory Union
Elizabeth Chor from Abby Kelley Foster Charter Public School (Worcester, Mass.)
Glam Cowboys from Harwood Union High School
Lilah Thurston from Barre Unified Union School District
MINC with members from Mountain Views Supervisory Union, Harwood Union High School, Montpelier Roxbury Public Schools, Essex Westford School District, Burlington School District, Mount Mansfield Union High School and North Country Supervisory Union
Nadia Comba from Burlington School District
NO SPEED LIMIT from Rice Memorial High School
Sammy Potts from NuVu High School (Cambridge, Mass.)
The Project from Essex High School and South Burlington High School
Tidal Wave from Addison Northwest School District
More about the Do Good Fest is online at dogoodfest.com.
Sonic Futures at Higher Ground Friday, May 29
Twinfield Union band the Junkyard Goats won the top prize at the 2025 Battle of the Bands. They play Higher Ground on Friday. Photo by Gordon Miller
The competition took place last fall on the Harwood stage as student bands and solo artists spent a day rehearsing and getting tips from professional musicians. The highlight was the evening Battle of the Bands competition and one of the rewards for the top acts was a spot in the Sonic Futures Youth Music Showcase lineup happening this Friday, May 29, at Higher Ground in South Burlington.
The performance is a culmination of the project led by Harwood music teachers Brian Boyce and Molly Clark Desrochers.
The lineup features Harwood’s Assembly Band, a signature part of school’s music program for 25 years that’s led by the music program’s top students and is considered a leading modern student band in Vermont. The band hosts the Sonic Futures event in the fall.
The band performs a wide range of tunes from the Tedeschi Trucks Band to modern funk-pop groups like Lawerence and Couch. Being in the band means a regular schedule of school performances and appearances at a variety of events and venues in the community.
Harwood’s The Glam Cowboys are on the program after winning accolades at the 2024 and 2025 Battle of the Bands contests. Their stage act features a range of original tunes and covers from ballads to disco and funk, delivered with personality and flair. They’re also competing for a spot to perform at this summer’s Do Good Fest in Montpelier.
Twinfield Union High School band, the Junkyard Goats, took first prize at the November Battle of the Bands. They perform original tunes with an indie post-punk groove.
Harwood Middle School band Surf Green performs at the 2025 Sonic Futures Battle of the Bands. They play at Higher Ground on Friday. Photo by Gordon Miller
Singer-songwriter Piper Hall won best solo act at the fall Battle of the Bands. A homeschool student, her style has Americana and country roots. She’s building her resume performing for the past several years at small venues around the region and doing some recording as well.
Harwood Middle School band Surf Green won best emerging act honors at the Battle of the Bands. This self-described post-rock instrumental quartet is an act to watch as they head into high school with members Oscar Robinson, Charlie Reilly, Wyatt Nagurney and Mabel Sullivan.
Other solo performers on the program are singer-songwriters Mollie Mislak from U-32 High School and Lilah Thurston from Spaulding High School, both performing original tunes.
Friday’s show is in Higher Ground’s Showcase Lounge. Doors: 6:30 p.m., music at 7 p.m. Tickets: $10 in advance, $15 the day of the show.
Burlington Discover Jazz Festival
Local student bands will be in the mix next week as the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival brings nearly 1,000 students to downtown Burlington to perform. Now in its 43rd year, the festival is produced by The Flynn and runs from June 3 to 7.
Local school bands are on the schedule to perform next Thursday, June 4, at the Top of the Block Stage on Church Street:
The Crossett Brook Middle School Jazz Band performs at 11 a.m.
At 11:40 a.m., Harwood’s Highland Jazz Ensemble performs.
The Harwood Assembly Band performs at 12:20 p.m.
The Harwood Assembly Band performs at the Sonic Futures concert at Higher Ground on Friday and at the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival next week. Courtesy photo
The youth band portion of the festival is part of its Around Town programming, including Downtown Jazz events presented in partnership with Burlington City Arts and the Church Street Marketplace, giving Vermont students the opportunity to perform alongside world-renowned artists curated by MacArthur Fellow Jason Moran.
“Jazz is a conversation that passes from one generation to the next, and there is no better way to see that in action than on Church Street during the festival,” said Flynn Executive Director Jay Wahl. “By bringing nearly 1,000 students into the heart of this year’s program, we aren't just celebrating the history of this music; we are investing in its future and ensuring that Vermont’s young musicians see themselves as a vital part of this global art form.”
A highlight involving student musicians at the festival will be the My Heart Sings: Jason Moran Plays Duke Ellington performance featuring the Vermont Youth Orchestra Association Jazz Ensemble.
Most of the festival’s performances are free. Tickets and the full schedule are online at FlynnVT.org. All of the student bands performing are listed on their own schedule.