WYEP Reimagination

Reimagination Project provides a unique approach to music education for high school teens from the Pittsburgh region. Over the past ten years, we have engaged more than 240 young musicians looking to hone their skills, learn about the music industry and prepare to launch their careers. Reimagination alumni include GRAMMY-winning artist Daya, Emmy-winning artist Jessica Bitsura, American Idol contestant Sloane Simon, and blues phenom, Pierce Dipner.

What can the WYEP Reimagination Project do for me?

Once you’ve been accepted into the WYEP Reimagination Project, you will:

• Be paired with a professional producer who will guide you throughout the process from songwriting to mastering.
• Embark on a 6-month experience that will explore every facet of the music industry.
• Spend eight hours inside a professional recording studio to produce and record your track.
• Participate in interactive masterclasses with music industry professionals that will cover topics like: Studio Etiquette, Songwriting, Marketing & Branding, Production & Touring, and Promotion & Distribution.
• Tour large performance venues like the Benedum Center for the Performing Arts, and sit in on a professional soundcheck at Stage AE.
• Have your track distributed worldwide on digital streaming services on a compilation album along with the other artists in your cohort.
• Perform live at community events such as The Dollar Bank Three Rivers Arts Festival and The WYEP Summer Music Festival.
• Join a network of like-minded musicians and create lasting musical friendships.
• Take your music to the next level.

How can I be a part of the WYEP Reimagination Project?
The submission window for the WYEP Reimagination Project normally opens sometime in the Fall and extends into the middle of January.

What will I need to submit?

• Be a high school student between the age of 14-18.
• Live within a reasonable driving distance of the City of Pittsburgh.
• ONE original song to send to us via YouTube Link, Soundcloud, Dropbox, or Google Drive.

Previous Years

2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014

Notable Alumni

Daya (2014): Won a Grammy Award for Best Dance Recording for "Don't Let Me Down" in 2017
Jessica Bitsura (2014): Won an Emmy Award in 2019 for her song "Dear Neighbor," a tribute to the victims of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting
Margot Jezerc (2016): Is a member of the award-winning band Buffalo Rose
Sophia Blake (2016): Has already written and recorded three full-length albums, and continues to perform. In 2021, she released a new single called "Spring Forward"
Trinity Wiseman (2017): Won the Acoustic Challenge, the WYEP Singer-Songwriter Competition and the Williams Sing-Off Competition. She continues to perform on stages around Nashville and Pittsburgh
Ellie Lee Oldfield (2017): Has been performing, locally and out of state, as a solo performer; in a duet, trio, and also as a full band called 'Same Moon'
Mirror Image (2018): Trent & Colton Edwards performed on America's Got Talent in 2017
Sloane Simon (2019): Performed on Season 4 of American Idol in 2021. She continues to release new music and perform. In 2021, she released three new singles
Trevolta (2019): Trevolta (formerly 'This Is The World') has signed with a national booking agent, Lighthouse Worldwide Artists; they also made it to the finals of the 24th Annual High School Rock Off at the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in Cleveland
Elias Khouri (2019): Khouri has been called "Pittsburgh's Jimi Hendrix" and continues to dazzle with his guitar playing at venues like Mr. Smalls Theatre and Highmark Stadium
Pierce Dipner (2019): Released his long-awaited full-length album titled "Goin' Back" in early January 2022. In the first few weeks of release, it reached the top of the Blues and Blues Rock Charts
Na'Chelle Simone (2020): Simone's son "Rise Up" was featured on NPR's Weekend Edition in 2020
Nolan Jack (2020 & 2022): Jack is a solo singer-songwriter and a member of the 2022 Reimagination band "AndMore." In 2022, he was named a YoungArts Finalist in Voice: Singer/Songwriter
Lindsay Liebro (2021): The winner of the 2020 WYEP Singer Songwriter Competition, Liebro had a TikTok song that garnered more than 100,00 views. She recently signed with Dance Cry Dance records
Sulwe Okoko (2021): Has continued to make music after the project and has released an EP: "Raspberry Window"
Ashley Marina (2022): Marina rosed to fame when she performed on "America's Got Talent" in 2020, and has continued to land performance gigs all over, including the WYEP Summer Music Festival
Elliana (2022): In the fall of 2022, Elliana released her first EP, "White Dirty Shoes"
Dallas Chapman (2022): Chapman has already released three albums in 2022, including "Hottest in the City," a collaboration with former Reimagination Artists Cameron Suzensky, 412shxm and Ajonia

Project Team

• Program Director, 91.3 WYEP, Liz Felix
• Executive Producer and Project Manager, Greg Joseph of The Clarks & Sonic Dog Studios
• Digital Content Manager & Project Manager, 91.3 WYEP, Nick Wright
• Executive Music Producer, Owner/Chief Audio Engineer, The Church Recording Studio, Dana Cannone
• Interim Director, The YMCA Lighthouse Project, David Shoemaker
• Administrator/Artist, The YMCA Lighthouse Project, Amos Levy
• And several WYEP hosts with backgrounds in different genres.

Also, we partner with local producers, musicians, and recording studios to put Reimagination in motion. Past collaborators include Dave Hidak at The Church Recording Studio, Carolyn Slouthour at 25 Carrick Avenue, INEZ, livefromthecity, DJ Shoe, Rick Witkowski, Jenn Wertz, Poogie Bell, Jon Bindley, Liz Berlin, Jake Hanner, Joe Munroe, Brian Edwards, Melinda Colaizzi, Sean McDonald at Red Medicine Recording Studio, and Amos Levy and James Brown of The YMCA Lighthouse Project.

Reimagination has been presented with funding from The Grable Foundation, Williams Coulson Johnson Lloyd Parker & Tedesco, LLC, UPMC Diversified Services, an affiliate of UPMC Health Plan, S&T Bank, and the members of WYEP.

Experience Reimagination