With the artistic mood of a Yellow Springs arts fair, the Miami Valley Music Festival brought a unique celebration of sound to the local summer music scene. The event carried the eclectic sounds of various music styles across the fields of east Troy on July 29-30. Celebrating their 9^th anniversary this year, the showcase includes local musicians and raises funds for regional charities on the grounds of the Troy Eagles Camp on Troy-Urbana Road. Their “Charity Rocks!” initiative provides a wealth of information about numerous opportunities to give back to the community. The mission: “to gather people together to celebrate life…to promote musical diversity, local artists and charitable giving…”

Although the original idea for the festival was the brainchild of Nick Christian in 2006, responsibility for the festival is now on the shoulders of a festival board that includes local musician Bradley Denson. As the bass player for the band Lost on Iddings, Denson has hosted several concerts on his own property over the years. When he began working with the festival, his hope was that the festival would be an extension of that “comfortable, chill, concert feel.”

As an organizer of innumerable details concerning sound, lights, electricity, and band schedules, Denson expressed that he felt like this year’s festival was a challenge but a success. “We were not sure how the weather would effect the turnout this year but we weren’t going to let it change the quality of what we do,” Denson said. “Everyone had a great time and that’s all that matters.”

Spirits were not dampened by the weather on Friday or Saturday as musicians and listeners gathered at various sound stages set up around the lake at the center of the Eagles Campground. Food vendors speckled the property and a tight schedule of band performances kept festivalgoers entertained all day. Many of the guests of the event brought tents or campers and paid a one-time fee to stay for the whole weekend. Families clustered around campfires during the evenings as the music played until late into the night.

This year’s list of bands included headliners like The Spikedrivers, The Boxcar Suite, DFunk All-Stars, and Forever Young: a Gem City Tribute to Bob Dylan. Other local favorites like Caamp, Cherry Lee and the Hotrod Hounds, The Willy Clark Band, Sharon Lane, and Colin Richards performed. Everything from punk rock to folk was on the buffet of musical genres offered over the weekend. In addition, several local businesses and organizations got on board to help supplement the operating costs for the event. Festival sponsors included Bravo! Troy, Troy Community Radio, F.O.E., D.B.C. and Basil’s on Market.

With philanthropy at the heart and music as the draw, the Miami Valley Music Festival and its partners continue to bring gifts to the table and offer audiences the sweet sound of homegrown talent.