Community Engagement > STG + Starbucks Up Next
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What is STG + Starbucks Up Next?
Starbucks and STG are proud to be long time partners. And because every young performer needs a stage to hone their skills, Starbucks is pleased to welcome STG aspiring musicians into their stores as part of the Up Next series.
These up and coming artists have participated in STG’s Songwriters Lab and More Music @ The Moore programs. Performing in the Up Next series gives them a chance to showcase their original works to a new audience and the community gets to hear the latest from our areas rising stars in their neighborhood Starbucks locations or online with the support of Starbucks.
Summer 2023
Enjoy live music from rising stars this summer at Starbucks SODO Reserve store!
All performances are Saturdays 4:00-5:00pm
Starbucks Reserve locations feature a selection of the rarest, most extraordinary coffees Starbucks has to offer.
July 8 - Cherry Ferrari
Cherry Ferrari is a band of two teenagers, Emma Wang and Oliver Crosby making their way through life with music. From writing on the bedroom floor and producing in the home studio, to performing at venues like Barboza and the MoPop Sky Church, Cherry Ferrari’s music takes inspiration from disco funk greats and today's pop to capture their youthful energy. @cherryferrarimusic
July 15 - Maya Michelle
Maya Michelle Russell is a passionate artist and athlete, who loves singing, songwriting, and playing sports. Professional credits include ELEVATE (Seattle Theatre Group), Book-It Theatre (Childfinder), 5th Avenue Theatre (Annie), and Seattle's Teen Summer Musical. You can also spot her playing a young Crystal Dunn in a Powerade Commercial. When she's not busy performing or making music, Maya plays soccer for Washington Premier's Elite Clubs National League. She is 15 years old and will be a sophmore at Holy Names Academy. @mayamichellerussell
July 22 – Aimee Lefkowicz (Taylor Swift Covers!)
Aimee Lefkowicz (she/her) is a Pop/Folk inspired singer and songwriter based in Seattle/Boston. Inspired by the style and storytelling of songwriters from the past such as Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, and Neil Young, Aimee combines an acoustic folk sound with modern pop to tell her own stories in her own style. Aimee is an alum of STG's Songwriters Lab and More Music @ The Moore.
Aimee will be covering Taylor Swift songs as Ms. Swift will be performing that night just down the street!
July 29 - Zahara Elan
Zahara Elan is a 15 year old singer-songwriter in the Seattle area. Blind from birth due to a fatal genetic disorder that required a life-saving bone-marrow transplant at the age of 1, Zahara’s focus naturally gravitated to music. A self-taught keyboardist with a powerful voice that belies her diminutive size, Zahara creates songs influenced by her love of jazz, blues, soul and a peppering of ear-candy pop. Whether singing solos at Seattle Unity’s Sunday services, jamming at various open mics, or performing in yearly musicals, Zahara simply loves performing. As an autistic person, the challenges Zahara faces in social arenas all melt away in the realm of music making and performance. Whether jamming with seasoned musicians decades her senior, or playing with beginners, Zahara is in her element meeting and matching them at their wavelength. IG @zaharaelan /TikTok & YouTube @babyzenmama
July 29 - Zje Mongolian Music Performance
Zie formed in 2020 with multi-instrumentalist Anu and her twin brothers. Zje performed with Wintergrass Youth Orchestra 2022 and 2023, ACDA 2023 Conference Seattle Jazzed summer program, and summer festivals throughout the region and Northwest folklife 50, More Music @The Moore. Zje released first album Uuhai Album in January 2022 and already started working on their second album which will be released soon. Zje's main focus is spread our heritage around the world through our abundant folk art.
September 14 - Samara Reign (Beyoncé Covers!)
Samara Reign is 20 years old vocalist, yet she has been singing since the young age of 4. She began singing in public with her church choir at 11. Starting at 13, she began working with Teen Summer Musical. Samara continues to sing with her church and sings regularly at events around the area. She is currently working on making her own music and aims to continue sharing her art with the local community and beyond!
Past Performances
2022 Series
July 9 – Priyal Sahai

Priyal Sahai is a 17 year old senior in high school, dancing queen and singer-songwriter. Her music is centered around storytelling, with the goal of impacting just one person with each song. Priyal dabbles in piano, though she’s primarily a jazz singer as well as has a diploma in Hindustani Classical Music. Priyal is thrilled that she will be attending NYU Tisch in the fall of 2022 as a musical theater double-major with political science! She was last seen at the Moore in DANCE This 2015 and 2019. She was also honored to be an STG Young Ambassador from 2019-2021. Outside of singing, songwriting, and piano, Priyal choreographs, acts and is making her directorial debut this year with Interlake High School’s Taste of Broadway! She hopes her music makes you feel something. Priyal is an alum of More Music @ The Moore 2022.
July 16 - Zoser

Zoser is a singer/songwriter and music bender with a soulful voice, thoughtful lyrics, and a guitar.
As an up and coming Seattle artist, Zoser began playing guitar when he was just 10-years-old. By the age of 12, he began penning his own lyrics and performing to local audiences in his hometown of Augusta, Georgia. Zo remained a fixture on the local musical scene until relocating to Seattle where he graduated from West Seattle High School in 2018.
Shortly after adjusting to the Seattle music scene, he went on to be a semi-finalist for SoundOff! 2019, a member of More Music @ The Moore and the guitarist of Mirabai Kukathas' band in SoundOff! 2020.
He is a singer, a storyteller and something of a revelation – not necessarily a soul singer but something more rare and precious – a singer with soul.
July 23 - Samara Reign

Vocalist Samara Reign is 18 years old, yet she has been singing since the young age of 4. She began singing in public with her church choir at 11. Starting at 13, she began working with Teen Summer Musical. Samara continues to sing with her church and sings regularly at events around the area. She is currently working on making her own music and aims to continue sharing her art with the local community and beyond! Samara is an alum of More Music @ The Moore 2022.
July 30 – Osvaldo Ribas

Osvaldo Ribas, 15, has played violin for eleven years, but has been captivated by guitar for longer than he can remember. In 6th grade he discovered Andrew Foy’s fingerstyle arrangement of Despacito. Since then, he focused on fingerstyle guitar and discovered more artists like Sungha Jung, Luca Stricagnoli and Marcin Patrzalek. Osvaldo continues to learn and expand his musical interests. Currently he’s learning to play Flamenco and his favorite music to listen to is Reggaeton. Osvaldo is an alum of More Music @ The Moore 2022.
2021 Series
December 3, 2021 Zoser

Zoser is a singer/songwriter and music bender with a soulful voice, thoughtful lyrics, and a guitar.
As an up and coming Seattle artist, Zoser began playing guitar when he was just 10-years-old. By the age of 12, he began penning his own lyrics and performing to local audiences in his hometown of Augusta, Georgia. Zo remained a fixture on the local musical scene until relocating to Seattle where he graduated from West Seattle High School in 2018.
Shortly after adjusting to the Seattle music scene, he went on to be a semi-finalist for SoundOff! 2019, a member of More Music @ The Moore and the guitarist of Mirabai Kukathas' band in SoundOff! 2020.
He is a singer, a storyteller and something of a revelation – not necessarily a soul singer but something more rare and precious – a singer with soul.
December 10, 2021 Evan Snoey & Tashi Litch

Evan Snoey is a multi-instrumentalist from Seattle, WA. He currently plays fiddle in The Woebegones from Lawrence University and is a frequent performer in the Seattle folk scene. He performs and composes on fiddle, mandolin, guitar and saxophone, and is recording music for a debut EP. Evan is an alum of STG’s More Music @ The Moore.
Tashi Litch is a mandolin player with a passion for bluegrass music & a deep curiosity about the world. A sophomore at Lawrence University, Tashi has formed a bluegrass band with fellow students and is touring soon. Tashi has played music for many years with his brother in their band Brograss, which was also a part of STG’s More Music @ The Moore.
December 17, 2021 Aimee Lefkowicz

Aimee Lefkowicz (she/her) is a Pop/Folk inspired singer and songwriter based in Seattle/Boston. Inspired by the style and storytelling of songwriters from the past such as Joni Mitchell, James Taylor, and Neil Young, Aimee combines an acoustic folk sound with modern pop to tell her own stories in her own style. Aimee is an alum of STG's Songwriters Lab and More Music @ The Moore.
July 24 - Delphine Elliott, Starbucks SODO Reserve
July 31 - Jayza Duhon & Xander Corbett, Starbucks SODO Reserve
August 7- Lucia Flores-Wiseman, Starbucks SODO Reserve
August 14 - Brenna Bruce, Starbucks SODO Reserve
August 21 - Aimee Lefkowicz, Starbucks SODO Reserve
August 28 - McKenzie Burkard, Starbucks SODO Reserve
2020 Series
Up Next Home Sessions: 2020
Our biggest thanks to the all of artists who performed in the 2020 Up Next at Home Sessions! You can watch all of their sessions below.
Due to the effects of COVID-19, the 2020 series of Up Next was streamed from the homes of up and coming artists in the greater Puget Sound area, Tuesdays in May and June 2020.
Lucia Flores-Wiseman
Lucia Flores-Wiseman is a singer/songwriter from Maple Valley, Washington. Even at 17 years old, Lucia is a commanding performer that continues to entertain audiences both large and small at local coffee shops, wineries, and festivals around the Pacific Northwest. She, fortunately, was able to perform with her idol, Brandi Carlile, two years ago at a benefit concert supporting the Tahoma Schools Foundation, where she was able to sing harmonies with Brandi and More Music @ The Moore 2019 alum, Benicio Bryant. Lucia is an alum of both STG’s Songwriters Lab and More Music @ The Moore 2020.
Sofia Avaria
Sofia Avaria has been playing guitar, and performing for 4 years. She has taken lessons and performed with School of Rock for about 3 years, and took flamenco and jazz guitar for about a year. She has played with her band Queen Chimera at venues around Seattle such as The Rendezvous, Hale's Palladium, The Royal Room, Old Redmond Firehouse, various house shows such as Pig Pen, and Cafe Racer. Sofia was in School of Rock Seattle's Houseband, and played at venues and events around Seattle, in Chicago at Lincoln Hall, and at Summerfest, a music festival in Milwaukee. She is an alum of both STG’s Songwriters Lab and More Music @ The Moore 2020.
Xander Corbett
Xander Corbett is a singer/songwriter and producer from Marysville, Washington. Xander has released two full-length albums and has a string of releases to come this year. He has been performing since age twelve and performed at Seattle PrideFest 2019. Xander is a More Music @ The Moore 2020 alumni.
THEM
The Seattle-based band THEM is a new pop-rock project quickly gaining momentum. With mentors aplenty at their side - currently the rock musician and KEXP DJ, Eva Walker, and previous mentors such as the world-traveling drummer, Heather Thomas, Nicki Danger of Pink Parts and others - the multi-instrumentalist quartet has played local Emerald City hot spots like The Skylark Cafe and the West Seattle Summerfest. The group, comprised of four talented high school students with harmonies in spades, is set for a steady rise toward fresh and brightened musical horizons. THEM is an alumni group of More Music @ The Moore 2020.
Betty Michaels
Betty Michaels is a multi-instrumentalist, producer, and songwriter with a love for any music that can vivify the soul. He has only recently started performing on guitar with Jazz/Hip Hop fusion group, Huey and the InFLOWentials (More Music @ The Moore 2018 alumni), but has been playing music since elementary school. Betty strives for authenticity in his work and yearns for listeners to really feel something –– whether or not it is expressed verbally, his music often contains within it a message of growth, gratitude, and hope. Betty is an alum of More Music @ The Moore 2020.
McKenzie Burkard
McKenzie Burkard, a Bainbridge Island based singer-songwriter, has been passionate about making music since receiving her first guitar at age 12. Her songs follow themes of growing up, navigating relationships, and finding identity. With training and support from BISA Vocal Studios, she has had the opportunity to perform at BISA New Talent Nights at Rolling Bay Hall and Earth and Vine Wine Bar. Her vocals, often compared to Natalie Merchant, are combined with acoustic guitar to tell the story of someone finding their way in life’s ever-changing landscape.
Save the Bees
Save the Bees (Bailey, Brenna, and Brooke Bruce) is a sister band originally from Phoenix, AZ currently living in Issaquah. If they had to place their sound in a genre, they would describe themselves as folk/Americana. The trio has been playing weddings, wineries, cafés, and community events since 2015. They cover all colors of timeless music and perform their originals- but always expect heartfelt lyrics, harmonies, and their own folk sound. Save the Bees are alumns of More Music @ The Moore 2019.
2019 Series
April 23 - Zoser, More Music @ The Moore alum, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
May 13 - Ainsley Costello, Songwriters Lab alum, Starbucks SODO Reserve
May 21 - Save the Bees, More Music @ The Moore alumni, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
June 10 - Save the Bees, More Music @ The Moore alumni, Starbucks SODO Reserve
June 18 - Brograss, More Music @ The Moore alumni, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
July 8 - Brograss, More Music @ The Moore alumni, Starbucks SODO Reserve
July 16 - Olivia Kurofsky, More Music @ The Moore alum, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
August 10 - Maddy Wyse, More Music @ The Moore alum, Starbucks SODO Reserve
August 12 - Amy Hall, More Music @ The Moore alumni, Starbucks SODO Reserve
August 13 - Limanjaya, More Music @ The Moore alum, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
August 17 - Alison Banchero, More Music @ The Moore alum, Starbucks SODO Reserve
August 24 - Cody Kilpatrick, More Music @ The Moore alum, Starbucks SODO Reserve
August 31 - Nick Mardon, More Music @ The Moore alum, Starbucks SODO Reserve
September 9 - Limanjaya, More Music @ The Moore alum, Starbucks SODO Reserve
September 10 - Aimee Lefkowicz /Sophia Strauss, Songwriters Lab & More Music @ The Moore alum, Starbucks SODO Reserve
2018 Series
Jan 25 - Nick Mardon Trio, More Music @ The Moore alum, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
Feb 22 - Amy Hall, Songwriters Lab Alum, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
April 5 - The Songbirds, More Music @ The Moore alumni , Madison Park Starbucks
April 12 - Alec Shaw and Zan Fiskum, More Music @ The Moore alumni, University Village Starbucks
April 19 - Liv Crecca, Songwriters Lab Alum, Alki Starbucks
April 26 - Jayza Duhon, More Music @ The Moore alum, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
June 28 - Huey & the InFLOWentials, More Music @ The Moore alumni, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
July 26 - Gia Acosta, More Music @ The Moore alum, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
August 30 - Theron Lutes, Songwriters Lab & More Music @ The Moore alum, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
October 4 - Anya Flanagan, Songwriters Lab Alum, Madison Park Starbucks
October 11 - Lucas Oktay, Songwriters Lab Alum, University Village Starbucks
October 18 - Maddy Wyse, More Music @ The Moore alum, Alki Starbucks
October 25 - Sophia Strauss & Sophia Cohen, Songwriters Lab Alumni, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
2017 Series
January 26 - Mads Jacobsen, More Music @ The Moore alum, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
April 6 - Marc Estabrook, More Music @ The Moore alum, University Village Starbucks
April 13 - Alli Carter, Songwriters Lab Alum, Madison Way Starbucks
April 20 - Limanjaya, More Music @ The Moore alum, 1st & Pike Starbucks
April 27 - Lucia Opalka, Songwriters Lab Alum, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
June 29 - Sam Foster, More Music @ The Moore alum, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
July 27 - Olivia Kurofsky & Sam Foster, Songwriters Lab & More Music @ The Moore alumni, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
August 31 - Mads Jacobsen, More Music @ The Moore alum, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
Sept 7 - Mia Day, Special Guest, West Seattle Junction Starbucks
Sept 14 - Isabella Adad, Songwriters Lab Alum, Madison Park Starbucks
Sept 21 - ZAHARA, More Music @ The Moore alum, University Village Starbucks
Sept 28 - Huey & the InFLOWentials, Songwriters Lab & More Music @ The Moore alumni, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
Nov 30 - Maia Nelson Quartet, More Music @ The Moore alum, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
Dec 14 - Lucia Opalka, Songwriters Lab Alum, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
2016 Series
April 7 - Cameron Sonju, Songwriters Lab & More Music @ The Moore alum, University Village South Starbucks
April 14 - Mads Jacobsen, More Music @ The Moore alum, Ballard Starbucks
April 21 - Amy Hall, Songwriters Lab Alum, E. Olive Way Starbucks
April 28 - Kate Atwell, Songwriters Lab Alum, Madison Way Starbucks
Sept 1 - Common Tratez, Music @ The Moore alum, E. Olive Way Starbucks
Sept 8 - Victoria Alkin, Songwriters Lab Alum, Ballard Starbucks
Sept 15 - Sam Foster, Music @ The Moore alum, Madison Way Starbucks
Sept 22 - Wandr, Music @ The Moore alum University Village South
Sept 29 - Alison Banchero, Songwriters Lab Alum, Starbucks Seattle Roastery
2015 Series
April 7 - Sincerely Soul, More Music @ The Moore alum, University Village South Starbucks
April 14 - ParisAlexa, More Music @ The Moore alum, Terry & Republican Starbucks
April 21 - Amanda Hardy, More Music @ The Moore alum, E. Olive Way Starbucks
April 28 - Jadyn Estrada, Songwriters Lab Alum, Madison Way Starbucks