Skip to Main Content

Creator and Artist Stories

Music Tuesday: YouTube’s budding music stars and more

By Sarah Bardeen

Music Community Manager

It’s no secret that YouTube is home to a burgeoning number of musicians who nurture their talent with the help of the online community. Over the years, we’ve developed ways for musicians to get more engaged -- with us and with the community. But often, at the end of the day, it’s the musicians themselves who create their own opportunities. Sometimes the most interesting work comes from people who sharpen their chops by covering the big names...until that fateful day when they branch out and start writing their own songs.

This month, we’re featuring four music partners who embody that spirit. Some, like garrethdavis and rosafrancescamusic, are young musicians honing their craft in the public eye. Rosa came to our attention for her subtle renderings of Joanna Newsom songs; we were thrilled to discover she also writes her own. The Dublin-based Garreth snagged our attention with his Everything Series, which sees him regularly uploading songs-in-progress about everything from love to the Irish elections.

The ceaselessly charismatic Todrick Hall seems to be most inspired when he’s paying homage to the chain stores that are ubiquitous in our lives -- and he delights in choreographing real-life Glee moments in which people break out into song in the middle of Wal-Mart. Meanwhile, Joseph Raciti is proving to be as talented at his choral audio quilts as he is with his piano-driven pop songs. (Joseph’s currently at work on his second musical, which he plans to release on YouTube.)

All of them are adding their voices to the cacophonous chorus that is YouTube -- and we treasure them for it. We think you will, too.

If that’s not enough music for you, check out our other features this week: a playlist from French electro-pop sensation Yelle (flanked by android bodyguards from outer space, apparently) and an amazing new video from Israeli phenomenon Kutiman, the artist who crafts songs using YouTube videos as his source material. Prepare to be stunned.


Subscribe