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Taylor-Made at Uptown 2024!

Come out to support these talented artists! 

congratulations to our six finalists!

TICKETS
Round one – Congratulations to
Nile Gay and Stephanie Phillips.
Round two – Congratulations to
liz watkins & Jack murtagh.
Round Three – Congratulations to
Stephen lyons & zagara sims.
Each of the nine artists shown below is a semi-finalist and will be performing live on the date shown. Get tickets to support your favorites, and vote that night.  
two artists will be selected by the audience each night, with Six finalists appearing on our Mainstage on August 7th where a grand-prize winner will be selected!  

congratulations to our nine semi-finalists!

  • Salvatore James
    Singer songwriter ballad - I’m from Howell, New Jersey and am currently a senior in high school. As graduation approaches, I wrote this song to express my feelings about moving on to my next chapter in life and leaving this one behind. This is a song that all people can relate to because at one time or another, everybody moves on.
  • Jack Murtagh
    Soft Rock
  • Liz Watkins_7665
    pop/country/singer-songwriter - My musical inspiration comes from traveling, being in nature and nurturing my relationships with my loved ones. Music truly makes the world a better place and I am determined to be a vessel of positivity, peace and uplifting others. My goal isn't necessarily to be "rich & famous," but rather to be a positive contribution to the lives of others through music.

    • JULY 31st

    Salvatore James

    Jack Murtagh

    Liz Watkins

    TICKETS
    • Stephen Lyons
      Indie,Folk,Pop - I'm originally from West Chester, born and raised. I write a lot of songs inspired by the landscape of Chester County. I was living / working in NYC as an Actor / Musician performing with my Band Bonfire Falls including members of the original Broadway cast of 'Once'. I returned home several years ago to take care of my parents. I lost my Dad three years ago to dementia. Mom had a cancer diagnosis and complications from surgery last year and a long recovery. Lot of my songs are influenced by the landscape of Chester County, grief, hope, joy. I started an open mic series with Andrew McIntyre at Hop Fidelity called Storynight, every second Thursday of the month, poetry, music.
    • Zagara
      Singer/Songwriter, Folk - Mostly just alternative. - I really like making stories and storytelling! I love putting my own view on myths or other fairytales. It’s a fun way to look at things.
    • Tom Wagner
      Folk, Americana - Musical inspirations: Cat Stevens, Simon and Garfunkel, Neil Young

    • JULY 24th

    Stephen Lyons

    Zagara Sims

    Tom Wagner

    TICKETS
    • Sophie Becker
      I would describe my music to be acoustic pop! I often write songs that tell stories and emotions that I experience and feel my audience can relate to. Connection is a powerful thing, and I feel very strongly that humans connect most through the power of music. Hello Uptown! I am a local singer songwriter from Malvern, PA and I’m so excited to submit to your contest this year! There is absolutely nothing I love more than to sing and perform and I cannot wait to move to NY for college in late august to continue my dreams by majoring in music business at Hofstra University! I have always felt very inspired by Amos Lee, a singer songwriter who was originally from Philly and now known world wide! I hope to someday professionally record some of my music and continue to perform live! I hope you enjoy my music 🙂
    • Nile Gay
      Indie Folk Pop with some Jazz influence. My music is influenced by artists like Joni Mitchell, Lizzy McAlpine, Jacob Collier, Sophia James. I also draw from Orchestral writing, French Impressionist Piano works, and some Jazz harmony!
    • Stephanie Phillips
      I call my music progressive folk - it is ballad driven, acoustic, and inspired by giants such as Dan Fogelberg, Cat Stevens, and James Taylor, to name a few. I have been writing and performing since I was 10. In my 20's, I opened for Emmylou Harris and sang at many of the venerable institutions in New York City, like the Speakeasy, the Village Gate, and the Bitter End. Since then, I have continued writing and performing in this area and now have 5 albums, with #6 about to be released this summer.

    • JULY 10th

    Sophie Becker

    Nile Gay

    Stephanie Phillips

    TICKETS

    A partnership between Taylor’s Music Store and Studio and Uptown! Knauer Performing Arts Center, Taylor-Made at Uptown! is a Singer-Songwriter Contest celebrating the unique talent of solo musical artists in and around West Chester.